Searching for a Bird
by Hinata001
Summary: Summary: Red Arrow wasn't a clone, he was. The mole was Robin the entire time. Five years later the real Robin is still missing amidst an alien invasion. The question is: How do you find a Bird who doesn't want to be found? Auld Acquaintance and Season 2 if things had happened differently. COMPLETE. Prequel Wings of Night is now up.
1. Chapter 1

A.N.: So, this story is from a plot bunny Fighter1357 posted and offered to anyone. I'm going to try my hand at writing this. It's a cool idea. For this story, the one thing you need to know is that both Robin and Roy were accepted into the Justice League but Robin went with the Team on the mission. Roy wasn't parasited but he escaped and went on the run with Robin.

Summary: Red Arrow wasn't a clone, he was. The mole was Robin the entire time. Auld Acquaintance and Season 2 if things had happened differently.

Disclaimer: I do not own, end of story.

Ch. 1: Broken Wings

"We have reason to feel proud of yesterday's victories," Kaldur said, leading the team into Mount Justice. "But one thing has not changed."

"Somehow the Light is still getting inside information on us," Artemis said.

"Well at least we know none of us are the mole," Wally said.

"That is correct," Batman said. "The mole… was Robin."

They all gasped in shock as he brought up a hologram of his former partner.

"Robin!"/"No way!" Kaldur and Wally exclaimed. They had known their youngest team member for years. They had never thought he would be the mole. It was impossible.

"Batman that cannot be," Kaldur said. "He's your protégé. We have all known him for years."

"Unfortunately the Robin we have known for the last four years is another Project Cadmus clone," Red Tornado said.

"We've learned the real Robin was abducted and replaced soon after becoming my sidekick," Batman said. This caused Wally and Kaldur to narrow their eyes. Batman never called Robin his sidekick, ever. "The clone was preprogrammed with a drive to join the Justice League, which is why he tried his hardest to become leader of this team. This Robin had no idea he was a clone or a traitor, and his unconscious programming drove him to become League-worthy. When he was finally admitted, his secondary programming kicked in and he attempted to betray the League to Vandal Savage. Fortunately I had already deduced Robin was a clone. We were prepared."

"Savage was subdued, but Robin escaped," Red Tornado explained. "He is now a fugitive, armed and dangerous.

"If you guys hadn't rescued me from Cadmus …," Conner said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What, what happened to the real Robin?" Zatanna asked. The Team glanced at her sympathetically. It was obvious she had had a crush on Robin.

"We don't know," Batman answered. "He isn't at Cadmus. We have to face the possibility that the real Robin is dead."

"The clone Robin, the Team will find him," Kaldur said after a moment of silence.

"Negative," Batman replied. "Robin is a member of the Justice League now. Leave him to us." Batman shut off the hologram as a beep came through his earpiece. "I'm needed on the Watch Tower. Tornado, stay with the kids." With that Batman left the cave.

Zatanna rubbed her head and Kaldur turned to the Team. _"Clone or no clone, Robin is one of us. We will go after him,"_ he said telepathically.

(Okay, for the sake of my sanity I'm going to do a time skip here to after the battle. Assume everything goes the same but with Roy and Robin together when they are found with Robin being the clone and not Roy.)

He was the mole. Robin trembled in horror as he remembered what he had done. Everything that had happened was his fault. He had almost brought down the Justice League. Burying his head in his arms, he curled up into his bed in his room on the Watch Tower that he had had since Batman had first brought him here, years before the Team was formed. Right now he didn't know what to think about everything he had learned. He just wanted to forget, like he had after he had watched his family die. He hadn't been a child since that day. Now though, he felt exactly like the young boy who had watched his parents fall to their deaths in front of his eyes. Tears fell from his face as he buried his head into his pillow.

"You're still you, even if you are a clone," a familiar deep voice said, causing him to tense. HE felt a familiar hand rest on his back as his adoptive father sat beside him. "You're my son. Nothing can change that."

Robin blinked and turned, staring into the face of Bruce Wayne, not Batman.

"He never even got a chance to really be happy," Robin said. "He would have still been grieving over his, our parents." He stared at the wall behind Bruce, not looking at him. "He was only nine."

"Yes, but it still happened, Dick," Bruce said.

"Don't call me that!" Robin exclaimed.

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "I doubt you want me to call you Richard," he said. He reached over and picked up something by Robin. He held it up to reveal Robin's mask. "and you're not Robin right now. So what should I call you?"

"I…I don't know," he said. "I'm not sure who I am anymore."

"That's okay. That's expected," Bruce said. "What's important is that you keep moving forward and find out the answers for yourself. In the end only you can decide who you are."

Robin finally met Bruce's blue eyes with his own.

"You did a great job today," Bruce said. "I guess I need to repair my as you called it "Whelmingly penetrable vault."

Robin chuckled weakly. "Yeah, sorry."

"Don't be. From what I can tell that little stunt saved the day and finally accomplished something we've been trying for months," Bruce said.

Robin stared at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Last I checked two kryptonians were finally having a very much needed talk."

Robin grinned slightly. "Finally," he said. His expression darkened as the thought of his fellow clone brought his thoughts back to the one topic his father hadn't touched on. "He's most likely dead, isn't he?" Robin asked, already knowing the answer.

"That won't stop us from looking for him," Bruce said. "The Light underestimated one thing when they captured him. If he's anything like you he'll find a way to escape."

Robin nodded. "I hope you're right," he said.

Little did they know, right as those words were spoken a raven-haired boy opened his bright blue eyes for the first time in four years as the Light was moving his pod. It was time.

_A.N.: Love it, hate it? I want to hear your thoughts. I had a hard time at the beginning with the mole reveal scene. I couldn't make it work how I wanted. I loved writing the Daddy Bats part however. Sorry if Bruce seems out of character but I couldn't resist. Special shout out to Fighter1357 for offering this idea. Hope you like it. Don't worry. There's a lot more where that come from. This is only the beginning after all. _


	2. Chapter 2

_A.N.: 6/9/12- Okay, wow. Today's episode was amazing. We finally got the answers to why Megan and Conner broke up (which I totally saw coming after everything). What happened with Artemis was stunning, especially the ending. I liked that they gave us a little taste of what happened to Speedy. I have to agree that he and Bart will become the Team's responsibility. I definitely did not see the thing with Kaldur coming, though it makes since. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. Warning: There will be spoilers for today's episode in this fic. Most of this chapter takes place right after Season 2 Episode 1: Happy New Year. I also changed the summary. _

Chapter 2:

Five years later

Time changes people. Dick Grayson was no longer the scrawny, little kid he had been when he discovered that he was a clone. He had finally become the leader he was meant to be. Right now though he wasn't Nightwing leading the Team, he was Dick, and his focus was on his little brother.

Tim Drake, there was something about the raven haired, blue-eyed teen that reminded him so much of himself. Sure, there were obvious differences but the similarities were eerie. He didn't blame Bruce for accepting Tim or Jason. When he had quit as Robin he knew it would only be a matter of time before somebody else stepped in. Bruce wasn't a loner despite what those who knew Batman thought. That didn't mean he wasn't jealous, but his main worry had been losing another precious person.

When Jason had been killed, his worse fears had been realized. Today as he had watched the base explode, he was so scared that it would be the same. Then Tim's head had popped out of the water. He had been so relieved. The fear turned into amusement when Tim noticed them and the League and looked like he was about to be scolded. He knew he had to help him. He had leaned over the rim of the ship and smirked.

_"Way to get your feet wet." _

It was his way of telling Tim and himself that everything was okay. It was over. He hadn't lost another brother. He didn't want to imagine what would have happened had Tm died. It would have been his fault. He had been the one to order him to go to New Orleans. He had made Tim Zeta Squad's leader. Shaking his head, he focused on the present.

"What are you doing squirt?" he asked, staring into his brother's room.

Tim looked up from his laptop. "Just recording what I learned from the base," he answered.

Dick nodded. "You did a good job today," he said. "You made a great leader."

Tim smiled. "Thanks." He frowned as something occurred to him. "You knew that the real base would be in New Orleans, didn't you?"

Dick smirked. "Maybe," he replied. He frowned when he noticed the look on Tim's face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Before we left, you told me not to die," Tim said. "I know about your parents, Jason and Tula but it was more than that."

Dick sighed and sat next to Tim. "You're my little brother; of course I didn't want to lose you."

Tim shook his head. "But that's not all."

Dick looked at Tim. "You two would be the same age," he said. _If we had found him five years ago at Cadmus, _he added mentally.

"Who?" Tim asked.

"You know about what happened five years ago?" Dick asked.

"Savage took control of the League and you guys saved them," Tim said. "Six of them, disappeared for 16 hours though and you've never known what happened or where they went."

Dick nodded. "Yeah, but what you don't know is what how Savage and the Light were able to get onto the Watch Tower in the first place. There was a mole on the Team, me."

Tim stared at Dick in shock. "You, but that doesn't make any sense."

Dick shook his head. "It makes too much sense. I was Batman's partner. It was obvious I would join the League one day. And I did. I was the second youngest member after Billy at barely 14."

Tim looked confused. "But you've always refused joining it," he said.

"Because the one time I did, I almost brought the whole League down."

"How?" Tim asked.

Dick bowed his head. This was it. He was actually going to tell Tim the truth.

"When I was nine and barely staring out as Robin, I went out on patrol on my own. That day the Light kidnapped me and…" he closed his eyes. "They cloned me and replaced the real me so that no one would notice." His fists tightened. "I'm that clone."

Silence. "I know," Tim said.

Dick's eyes flew open and he stared at Tim in shock. "How?"

"I might have…sort of…hacked the Bat Computer," Tim said.

Dick chuckled. "Of course you did."

"So you don't know what happened to him, the original Robin?" Tim asked with an almost odd sort of curiosity.

"No," Dick replied. "But before I returned here I found something, a sign that he was alive: a piece of paper."

"What did it say?" Tim asked.

Dick pulled out something from his pocket and opened it. Memories rushed back to him.

_**Flashback**_

_**Time: about 3-4 years after Season 1**_

_He was running. They had found him and killed his foster parents. The couple had been kind enough to take him in when he showed up on their doorstep one day, only ten. Years had passed and he had made sure he looked nothing like Dick Grayson. Still they had found him. Another family broken because of him. He held back the tears and kept running. He had to move forward and there was only one place he knew he was safe._

_A blast of energy suddenly hit him from behind causing him to fall to the ground. He trembled, turning and staring in horror as several familiar figures walked towards him. _

Dick Grayson gasped as he woke inside his room in Wayne Manor. The dream had felt so real. He clung desperately to it, trying to remember any details but like always, they escaped him. The only thing he knew was that in it his original self was being chased and in great danger.

The reminder of his lost younger double made him cringe. They still hadn't found him. Babs and Bruce were convinced he was dead but Dick knew that he wasn't and he had proof. He had spent the last couple of years alone searching for him. He had found a home in Bloodhaven as Nightwing but he knew it would never replace this home. He had needed the break to discover who he really was. Through it all, he had never forgotten the Team.

He thought of what had brought him back here and cringed. Jason, his replacement and younger brother was dead, killed by the Joker. As much as he hadn't wanted to he knew that he was needed here. Bruce needed him.

He got dressed and made his way to the dining room. His eyes widened as he saw the raven hair teenager sitting at the table. Familiar blue eyes met his and the boy's face turned serious before brightening into one of excitement.

"Hey, you're Dick right? I'm Tim Drake, the new Robin. Nice to meet you."

Another brother, another person to lose. Yet the brother he was looking for was still missing. His thoughts returned to his younger self and he put his hand in his pocket, clutching the piece of paper he had found with his own handwriting, remembering what it said, the words meaningless but still echoing in his head.

_**End Flashback**_

"Just three words," Dick said, returning to the present. "Crash the Mode."

_**A.N.: Yes, I know I'm the evil cliffhanger goddess. Sorry that the chapters are so short but the future ones should be longer. Thanks to the short length though I can get them out quicker which means faster updates. Iloved writing the Tim/Dick bonding and angst. I know there's a serious lack of action but that will change. Hope I did good. Tell me your thoughts. **_


	3. Chapter 3

A.N.: Okay, so I have a special treat for you. A third chapter of my new story in around 24 hours. The muse has been kind to me.

For those of you who read my The Olympians Read the Books story, don't worry. I will try my best to work on it as well. I should have it posted soon but my main focus right now is on this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own.

Ch. 3

February 12, 2016

_"Be careful, alright," he told Batman. _

"_I was about to say the same to you three," Batman replied. "I fear we leave the more dangerous task here on Earth."_

_Nightwing shared a look with Robin. "We'll manage," he said, telling Batman that they'd do their best to protect the Earth while he and the other Leaguers were gone. _

"_I know," Batman said. "If anyone can do it you can. Just don't lose yourself along the way." _

_Nightwing rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine Dad. It's not like these two won't knock some sense into if I do," he said. _

_Batman nodded._

Dick stared at the photo in his hand. It was of his old team. He was sitting alone in the main room of the Cave. He hated keeping secrets from the people he had come to trust and who had come to trust him as their leader but he couldn't risk Kaldur being discovered and their plans falling through. The closer they got to the Light, the more they could find out and prepare. This time they were the ones who had the mole and he was going to use it to the best of his advantage, just like they had used him.

What he had learned was troubling. Whatever the Light was up to involved a lot more than just the Kroloteans. He had a bad feeling about the Trial for the Six Justice League Members. Something big was going down and the Earth was without some of its most powerful heroes. If it wasn't a trap he didn't know what was. Still a part of him wanted to be up there with them, believed he deserved to be on trial for what he had done as the mole. He pushed that part back. He had more important things to worry about. Batman was counting on him to make sure the world was safe while he was gone.

"What am I going to do?" he asked no one in particular.

"You know talking to inanimate objects is usually a bad sign," a familiar voice said. Dick grinned and looked up at the raven-haired teen standing before him.

"Tell that to Blue Beetle," he replied.

"I think he has other things to worry about," Conner said, sitting beside him against the wall. Seeing the picture in Dick's hand, he smiled slightly. "We were so young back then," he said.

"So naïve. We were kids trying to fit in with the adults," Dick added.

Conner chuckled. "Can't argue with that."

Dick sighed and crossed his arms. "Do you ever try and remember your time in Cadmus or those times you missed?" he asked.

"Sometimes," Conner replied. "I sometimes wonder if I was ever out of my pod before you guys or if they did anything to me that M'gann couldn't sense."

Dick nodded. "Yeah." He looked down at the photo in his hand. "For me though, it's more than that. I want to remember so I can know. Whenever I sleep, I dream of him, wondering where he is. I know he's alive somewhere out there." He noticed Conner's expression. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

The part Kryptonian shook his head. "No, I think you're clinging on to him because you feel guilty. They may have found that smashed pod at Cadmus but that doesn't mean anything. "

"It means they kept him alive for over four years," Dick retorted. He sighed. "You don't know what it's like Conner, to remember a life that wasn't yours. They took a nine-year-old boy who was still grieving his parents from his hope for happiness just so they could replace him with a clone. I wonder every day what he would have been like. Would he look and act like me? Would he be a natural leader? What would he think of me?"

At the last question, Conner rested a hand understandingly on his shoulder. "I'm sure you two would have been as close as you are with Tim," he said. "Maybe even closer."

Dick chuckled. "We would have been fighting all the time," he said.

Conner smirked in agreement. "But that's just a part of being brothers, right?" he said.

Dick's chuckle turned into a laugh at that. "Definitely," he said.

They sat there in silence for a while. Finally, Dick took one last glance at the picture in his hand before slipping it back into his pocket and standing up.

"Thanks Conner," he said.

Conner stood and nodded. "Anytime brother," he said.

As Conner headed to one of the many hallways, Dick thought of something. "Hey Kon," he said, "Do the words 'Crash the Mode' mean anything to you?"

The Kryptonian clone froze, but was able to turn to look at him, a strange expression on his face. "I'm not sure. They sound familiar though. Why?

"No reason," Dick lied. "Not really sure myself." With that Dick headed down a different hallway, towards the one place he knew he would be able to think.

When he entered the Gymnasium, he was stunned to find that he and Conner were not the only ones up. Another familiar raven-haired, blue-eyed teen was swinging acrobatically from the bars and other familiar equipment that Dick often used. The familiar figure made him do a double take as it landed gracefully onto a mat that had been set up.

"Nice routine Squirt," he said, causing the familiar teen to jump.

"Dick!" he exclaimed, turning around to stare at him. "How much did you see?" There was an obvious fear in Tim's eyes, though Dick didn't know why.

"Not much," he replied. "I just got here."

Tim seemed to sigh in relief causing Dick to stare at him in confusion. "I've been practicing," his brother said.

"I can tell," he said, "but let me show you how a real pro does it."

It only took a few minutes for him to get warmed up before he began his routine. As he soared through the air he let himself be taken in by the rush of what he called "flying." This was why he had come here. When he was doing his routine, he never had to worry about who he was or who he needed to be. All his worries simply disappeared and he was Dick Grayson flying as he always did. It was a reminder that he was every bit the boy raised as an acrobat as his counterpart. He ended the routine with his quadruple flip and landed gracefully on the mat as Tim had.

"Wow," Tim said, staring at him in shock. "That was awesome! I mean I know you were raised as an acrobat but still that was definitely crash!"

Dick looked up at that. "What?"

"I said that was rad," Tim said.

Dick narrowed his eyes. That was definitely not what he had said. Seeing the weary look on Tim's face, he let it go. It was probably just a coincidence. A beep from his wrist-computer alerted him and he tensed.

"What's wrong?" Tim asked.

"Nothing," he lied. "I've just got to go somewhere, personal business. I don't know how long I'll be but I should be gone at least part of tomorrow."

Tim nodded. "Okay." He seemed torn between his curiosity and his eagerness to sleep. An escape yawn, however, made his decision for him.

Dick chuckled. "Get some sleep. I'll see you soon." With that the young Robin left the Gym, leaving Dick alone.

Pulling a phone out of his pocket, he dialed a familiar number. "Hey, it's me, what have you got."

A.N.: Alright, so this chapter isn't any longer but I know the next one definitely will be. Want to know why? Because it's the rewrite of Salvage and I can rewrite things. It won't just be another simple talk like these last ones. Don't worry. There will definitely be action and we get to see a different confrontation as well as what this universe has in store for some familiar friends.


	4. Chapter 4

_A.N.: 6/10/12- Hey everyone. Welcome to the fourth chapter of Searching for a Bird. Thischapter is supposed to be based on the episode Salvage but due to the changes in this universe it will be extremely different. There will be similarities but for the most part this where you will see the changes made because of Robin being the clone. The fate of certain characters will be revealed. For example, I will be bringing in a character that hasn't appeared on the show but that I have mentioned. He will be a very important part in this story and keep Nightwing on his toes. Another piece of the puzzle might come into play so pay attention. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own. _

_Without further ado: _

Chapter 4: Interventions, Plans and Memories.

**February 13**

**Gotham City- Cemetery**

Dick Grayson stared at the headstones before him. The flowers before them were fresh, just laid down by him.

"Hey Mom. Hey Dad," he said. "It's me." He bowed his head. "I still haven't found him. I will, though. I promise. I know he's out there somewhere. I've got to get to him before the Light does. I can't let them use him like the used me." He clinched his fists. "I won't let that happen ever again. No matter what it takes."

"Wow, Dickie-Bird," a familiar voice said, startling him. "I never took you as a narcissist."

Dick rolled his eyes. "I'm not. That's your department Jay," he said. He pretended to look down at his watch. "You're late." He turned his head to glance at the raven-haired teen now standing beside him.

"Like you would have noticed," Jay replied.

"What did you find Jason?" he asked impatiently.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Is that any way to speak to your younger brother?" he asked. "And here I was hoping that we could go somewhere that doesn't contain reminders of my death." He nodded to a headstone not far away.

"You were the one who chose this place," he scoffed.

"Only because it's near the mansion," Jason replied.

Dick sighed as he realized what Jason was saying. "Fine, come with me." He definitely didn't like the way Jason's grin widened the closer they got to Wayne Mansion. Once there he knocked on the door, knowing Alfred was home. Sure enough, the butler opened the doors, his eyes widened when he saw them but his shock quickly disappeared.

"Come inside Master Richard, Master Jason," he said. There was a weary look I his eyes as he led them inside and to the living room (or whatever you call it). Immediately Dick saw the source of the weariness and turned to Jason, anger in his eyes.

"You set me up!" he exclaimed.

"It is my specialty," Jason replied. His face then turned serious. "I did it for your own good. We're all worried about you Dick," he said. He gestured to the group of people sitting around them. There was Babs, Tim, Wally, Artemis, Roy and Jade holding baby Lian (the last two he had no idea why they were there).

"You called them!" he exclaimed.

"Actually I did," Alfred said from the entryway. Dick stared at the man he considered a grandfather in shock.

"Like Jason said, we were worried," Wally said.

"You're becoming too obsessed with finding the original Dick," Artemis said. "You can't be the leader you're supposed to be if you continue like this."

"It's easy for you guys to say," Dick snapped. "You guys gave up on him."

Barbara sighed. "We searched for years Dick. You know that. It's obvious he's dead."

"You know what my uncle said Dick, Cadmus policy was to delete the source material," Roy said.

Dick trembled, his head bowing and his hands clenching the piece of paper he had pulled from his pocket. "You guys are wrong," he snapped. "He's still alive!"

A hand on his arm made him tense and he looked down at the worried face of Tim. "Calm down Dick, please. What would Dad think if he saw you like this? Remember what you promised him. This is our intervention."

The words felt like a slap on the face coming from his little brother. "Tim, the note," he said.

"Even if it was him, you can't stop everything to go find him," Tim said. "The Team needs you. The world needs you."

Dick raised an eyebrow at that. Tim really thought he was just going to drop everything and leave them just to search for his younger self. What kind of big brother was he? "I wasn't going to," he replied, his emotions calming and his protective side taking over.

This stunned everyone. "But then, why do you keep searching?" Roy asked.

"Because I know he's still alive," he showed the note to the people around him. "Whatever this means I know it's important to bringing down the Light. I'm not going to rest until I find him."

"Jade and I do have a lead," Jason said, shocking everyone. "Tibet."

Dick turned to Jade, noticing Tim still tensely holding on to him. "You know where?" he asked. Jade nodded. "Roy, Jason and I are going in a couple weeks. We're leaving Lian with Oliver and Dinah."

Dick looked at Roy. "I thought you stopped searching for him," he said.

Roy shrugged. "You know how persuasive Jade can be," he said.

Dick chuckled. "You're so whipped," he said.

"Totally," Roy nodded in agreement.

They spent a while just talking after that. Sharing stories and joking like old times. Finally when it was just Wally and Artemis (The Harpers having left and Jason sneaking out a while before), the three of them shared a knowing look and excused themselves. Leaving the three other mansion inhabitants they found themselves in the library.

"So, any more news from Kaldur?" Wally asked.

Dick shook his head. "Nothing. At least this allowed us some time to get out plans in order," he said.

Artemis nodded. "How long will it take to get the glamour charm from Zatanna?" she asked.

"Not long," Dick answered. "The hard part is going to be keeping it from everyone else. They'll have to believe whoever wears it is really dead."

"I still say I should do it," Artemis said, crossing her arms. "You're too important to lose and I have experience in this."

Wally looked like he was going to protest but a beep from Dick's communicator stopped him.

Later that night:

As he collapsed onto his bed in the Cave Dick wondered how much harder things would get before they could finally have some peace. He was worried about the mysterious Partner that the Light was working with. Why were they using the Kroloteans? What were they doing with the missing people? He hardly noticed when he fell asleep.

_Nine-year old Robin was scared. He didn't trust the doctors from Cadmus as they called the place he was at. He hadn't been with Batman for long but he knew when he was being used. The genomorphs were kind but he knew they worked for Doctor Desmond and would mess with his mind and make him do things he didn't want to. Out of everyone at Cadmus he only trusted Guardian and Double X. The former he recognized as a former member of the Justice League. The latter, though a genomorph, was always kind to him. _

_ He knew he wasn't the real Robin. He was a clone made by the lab. He was lucky to be able to be outside his pod at all. He knew the only reason he was allowed to be was so they could train and experiment on him, making sure he was ready. Cadmus planned to switch him with the real Robin. When they did, he knew he wouldn't remember ever being a clone or any of this. He wouldn't be able to warn anybody of the coming danger. _

_'You are troubled, Brother,' __Double X said. _

_Robin looked up from his hiding place, knowing that Double X was nearby. __'I don't want to go back into the pod,' __he said telepathically. __'They're going to make me forget everything and replace him with me. I don't want to hurt the Justice League.'_

_ Double X was silent for a moment. __'I cannot stop that,'__ he said, __"but I can make sure that you will one day remember. You are special Brother. I know that one day you will stop what is happening. '_

_ "There you are!" a familiar voice exclaimed. Robin stared in horror as Dr. Desmond came forward along with several others. One of them held an unconscious boy that looked exactly like him but in his Robin uniform. _

_ "No!" he exclaimed. He struggled against his captors but to no avail. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape. Finally, one of them stabbed him with a needle and the world became hazy until it disappeared entirely. His last thought was not of himself but of his double who's torture he knew had just begun. __'I have to save him.'_

Dick groaned as he blinked open his eyes. What had happened? He was sure he had been dreaming of Cadmus, but that was impossible. He shouldn't have been out of his pod. Superboy hadn't been, right? There were so many things he didn't know. If he was to find the truth, he needed to return to the beginning, where it had all started.

_**A.N.: Okay, the intervention didn't turn out exactly like I felt OOC. I might rewrite it later but right now I'm eager to move on to the next chapter. Yes, I brought Jason in. I thought he would bring an interesting twist to the story. I did like how I used the meeting to give Roy, Jade and Jason the excuse to go to Tibet like in Bloodlines, though it won't end the same way. Wally, Dick and Artemis got a chance to plan. I originally added the last part to make this chapter longer but it ended up expanding into more. What did they do to both Dick's? What secrets is Dick's subconscious hiding? So many questions and I didn't even have to say the three words that drive my readers crazy. Don't worry, I'll make sure they come up soon. **_

_** Fighter13579- Here's your nine-year old Dick. I told you I would put them in flashbacks. There's a lot more coming. Yes, it was Jason. I was always planning to bring him into the story in some way. **_


	5. Chapter 5

A.N.: Hey. I decided to write this chapter due to the lack of reviews for my last one. This chapter does not follow any episode but continues from the last chapter. Also, there will be one inconsistency with the second chapter because I haven't gone back and edited it. For the sake of this fic clone Dick or NIghtwing's birthday is March 21 (one day after my own!). This means he was 13, not 14, during Auld Acquaintances.

Disclaimer: I do not own.

CH. 5: Memories

**February 17, 2016**

Nightwing stared at the familiar building before him. Beside him, Superboy stood with a dark look on his face.

"What makes you think we can find anything after five years that the Justice League couldn't?" His Kryptonian brother asked.

Nightwing checked the screen of his wrist-computer. "Just a hunch," he said. Seeing that there were no other life signs besides them that the computer could detect he led Conner into the abandoned Cadmus lab.

"This place is as creepy as ever," Superboy said. Dick nodded as memories flooded back.

**Flashback:**

** Time: 9 years ago**

_Where was he? His mind was fuzzy. The last thing he remembered was sitting in the back of an emergency vehicle with Batman being patched up after a battle with the Joker. What had happened next? _

_'Ah, Brother, you are finally awake,' __an unfamiliar voice said in his mind, causing his body to tense. Slowly he opened his bright blue eyes. He was in a strange, pod like machine. His mask was missing and instead of his Robin uniform he was wearing a white one piece suit with his R on it. _

_'Where am I?'__ he thought, somehow knowing the being that had spoken to him before would hear him._

_'In Cadmus, your new home,'__ it answered. A tall, grey-skinned being with two horns on its head walked up to the pod. __'I am Double X, the leader of many telepathic creatures here known as genomorphs.'_

_'__Why am I here,' __he asked Double X. He frowned when he sensed a strange feeling similar to wariness that he was sure was coming from the genomorph._

_'You are here because this was where you were created. You are not the real Robin, but a clone created by Cadmus to serve the Light,' __Double X replied. _

_ For his part, Robin took it as well as could be expected. He glared at the genomorph in disbelief. It turned into shock when Double X's horns glowed red and several images passed into his mind. He saw several scientists standing in front of his pod, except it was not him as nine, but even younger. Most of the scientists disappeared and it wasn't just scientists but villains he recognized from his short time with Batman: Vandal Savage, Lex Luthor, Queen Bee, Ras' al Ghul, Sportsmaster and others. _

_'But why do they need me?' __he asked. He knew he wouldn't like the answer as soon as he asked it. Before Double X could reply however, their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of who Robin guessed was the lead scientist, a man in a golden helmet he recognized as the missing Justice League member Guardian as well as Savage and members of the Light. _

_ Good, he's awake," Savage said. He turned to the scientist and Double X whose horns had returned to normal. "Open the pod Dr. Desmond," he ordered. _

_ The scientist, Dr. Desmond stared at him in shock. "But…" at Savage's glare he complied. "Of course sir," he said. He punched in something on a control panel and Robin tensed as he readied for a possible escape. No way was he staying here and becoming a part in whatever evil plan the Light (which he guessed was referring to Savage and the other villains) was cooking up. _

_ The pod door opened and with a grace that was definitely strange for somebody that had been cooped up in a container, jumped out, onto the control panel. Perching on it, he stared at the group in front of him. Getting past them was going to be next to impossible, especially without his belt. Still, while he hadn't been with Batman for long that didn't mean he wasn't resourceful. He side-swept Dr. Desmond who was right next to him. Then, with a powerful jump, he knocked Queen Bee to the ground. None of the others made any move to stop him, simply watching in either amusement or interest. Guardian was perhaps the only one who stood stoically, a creature that Robin guessed was a genomorph on his shoulder, its horns red. Robin, seeing this, knew something was wrong. _

_'What are you doing to him?'__ he asked the genomorph telepathically, instinctually knowing it would hear him, like with Double X._

_'Keeping him from becoming consciously aware of what is happening,' __the genomorph replied, seemingly shocked that Robin was able to talk to him. __'It is my masters' orders.'_

_ Queen Bee and Dr. Desmond had gotten up and were now watching him with the others. _

_ "What is he doing?" Dr. Desmond asked._

_ "He is communicating with Guardian's genomorph," Double X replied aloud. _

_ "But that's impossible!" the Cadmus scientist exclaimed._

_ Savage chuckled. "Our Partner will be pleased," he said. He turned to Sportsmaster. "I told you he would be a much better choice than the archer's sidekick." _

_ For some reason Robin felt himself become angry when Savage said that. He didn't know why but the term sidekick had suddenly become taboo to him. Maybe it was something they had done when they had made him. This was proven correct when Savage and a few of the others grinned when they saw his anger. He resisted the urge to follow his programming and shout or attack them. It took all his willpower to fight against it but he did it._

_ "Amazing," Dr. Desmond said, staring at him. "He was able to fight against his programming so easily."_

_ Lex grinned. "He certainly is special. I'll give him that. It was worth putting Project Match on hold for a while to see this." He kneeled before Robin and stared into his eyes. Robin shivered; resisting the urge to attack the billionaire who he was sure recognized him. Sure enough, the next words out of Lex's mouth proved just that and more. "I recognize you. You're that orphaned circus brat that Bruce Wayne took in, Dick Grayson. Which means…" The billionaire's eyes widened and he laughed. "Bruce Wayne is Batman. This is priceless."_

_ Robin stared at the man in horror, which quickly turned to anger. He moved to attack him but Sportsmaster's voice stopped him in his tracks. "That's enough from you kid. Broken Wings." The words caused Robin to lose consciousness, surrounded by some of the League's worst enemies. The last thing he heard was Savage's voice._

_ "Just born and the kid is already crashing the mode."_

**End Flashback**

Nightwing bit back a groan, trying not to alert the Kryptonian beside him to his plight. Judging by Conner's worried expression he wasn't doing a good job. Then again, Conner had super-hearing and had probably heard his heart race when the vision had taken over.

"You okay 'Wing?" his friend asked.

"Fine," he said. Judging by Conner's face he obviously didn't believe him.

They had explored part of the underground base but hadn't found anything. All security footage and data had been deleted and there were no traces of the labs former inhabitants. Everything had been going fine until they had found an abandoned pod room. That was when the memory had taken over and Nightwing had to grip his old pod to keep from collapsing. This time the details didn't fade but were crystal clear in his mind. All the old feelings that came with it flooded him, numbing the details and he tried to remain in control. Forcing them back like he had his programming that day, he focused his attention on the room. This was the place where he had been born.

His eyes went to the label on the pod. Project Nightwing. He chuckled dryly. Even when trying to escape his past as a clone it still dominated him. Batman hadn't told him much of what they had found when they searched the base the first time, and he had not been eager for details himself except for what had happened to his double. Still, he wondered what his mentor thought when he heard about the new hero Nightwing who was supposedly the first Robin.

"Some things never change," he said. He remembered the way he had so easily conversed with the genomes, how an unfamiliar power had run through him as he attacked the Light. His mind ran through everything, searching for clues as to their plan. He dredged up every memory of the Light or Cadmus, looking for anything that would help them.

'_**You are special, Brother. I know that one day you will stop what is happening. You will be the one to crash the mode.'**_

'_**What do you mean, Crash the Mode?'**_

'_**It must be crashed. Otherwise more than just Earth will fall.'**_

'_**But what is it? What is the mode?'**_

'_**That, you must find out for yourself. You hold the key and the answers to the universe's salvation. When the time comes, you will know what must be done.'**_

His eyes widened as he remembered more of his conversation with Double X from his dream the night before. He withdrew the familiar piece of paper from his belt and stared at it. Had he been wrong to think that his double had written this note? Had he, himself actually written it and hidden it for his for his future self to find? He wanted to know the answers but he had a feeling they wouldn't be coming as soon as he'd like. Whatever the truth he knew he'd find it.

_**A.N.: Okay. This chapter began differently at first. Nightwing was originally supposed to remember going to Cadmus after Auld Acquaintances with the League but I couldn't make it fit right with the story so I changed it to him remembering when he first woke up. I already had the idea in my head, especially the line about Robin being a better choice over Speedy (sorry. I love both of them but Dick's my favorite) after Robin shows off his skills, (I was originally going to also add his hacking skills but it didn't fit so that will be in a later flashback). Then since Lex was there, I thought he would recognize Dick so that was written. **_

_**I had to name him Project Nightwing. It was either that or have his shut down phrase be that but I decided to stick close to cannon and make that Broken Wings. **_

_**The later memory was added because I needed something more and those of you who read the end of Chapter 4 may recognize the beginning as part of the dream. I wanted a conversation that was similar to it but with more so I just added on to it in this chapter. **_

_**Why is Dick so important and why could he do those things in the memory? What is the mode and why does it need to be crashed? Did he or the other Robin write the note? I know the answers but I'm not saying. **_


	6. Chapter 6

A.N.: Hey, So, I'm trying to decide what I'm going to do once I reach the point after Depths. Because of the hiatus that means I won't know when the next episode is set which will make it hard to judge time for this story. Once I reach a certain point I could go back and rewrite the past chapters as well as add new ones in between. This would mean less action and more flashbacks. The other thing I can do is put this story on temporary hiatus during the break and work on my reading the Percy Jackson series story. Please tell me what you think.

I know Bloodlines will take a couple of chapters as well as Depths. This chapter will partly follow Beneath, taking place during and after.

Also, I just want to say this before I get to Depth. This is not a pairing story. There will be hints of NIghtXZatanna, NightXBatgirls and NightXArtemis though as well as canonical Spitfire, MeganXLa'gaan and Supermaritan. The last two may play a part but only as a filler so Night and Conner can bond as well as help Miss Martian. The Nightwing pairings, will be brief and only mentioned unless a part of the show.

One other thing. Dick is mainly 18/19, which means he would have still been in high school while he went searching for himself in Bludhaven. To solve this I could got two ways. There's the boarding school plow option which is familiar to a lot of people and then there's the one I am leaning towards which is that he graduated early. It is possible. He was 13 in high school as a freshman. The kid was a genius. Also, it goes with the fact that we don't see him in his civvies in the show. He is spending most of his time as Nightwing. This option of making Nightwing a genius also opens a path that will make things more interesting.

Disclaimer: I do not own.

Ch. 6

**February 19, 2016**

Nightwing stood in front of his screen, watching as the members of the Team he had chosen traveled in the Bio-Ship to Qurac.

"Investigating the origin of the alien bomb that destroyed the Krolotean invasion force is still a high priority," he said. "We suspect the bomb may have been smuggled to earth via Boom tube. Watchtower sensor scans of Bialia have reported an uptake in Boom tube activity. Alpha Squad, your mission is…"

"Is too sneak behind enemy lines, recon known boom tube hotspots and find alien tech matching the bomb," Wonder girl interrupted. "Oh, and don't get caught or create an international incident, right?"

"That about covers it," he said.

"Psimon?" Miss Martian asked.

"We have confirmation that Bialia's telepathic enforcer is still catatonic in a Qurac hospital, after his last encounter with you." He said this last part cautiously, trying to hide his disapproval. She got enough of that from Superboy. "But Bialia's dictator, Queen Bee, is another story. Her ability to control the minds of men is why Alpha is an all-female squad for this mission." He mentally scolded himself for saying that, knowing what was about to happen.

"Oh really," Batgirl said. His longtime friend was no slacker when it came to picking on him, even after all these years. "And would you have felt the need to justify an all-male squad for a given mission?"

He coughed; embarrassed at the expectant looks he was getting from the squad, which was obviously Batgirl's objective. ""Uhh... there, there's no right answer for uh, that, is there? " He decided to end the transmission before he could be embarrassed even more. "So... Nightwing out."

Girls, he never understood them. They were a mystery to him. His childhood crush on Artemis and his brief time dating Zatanna hadn't helped. Then there was Barbara, his friend had always been there for him. Why did they have to make things so difficult? Well, at least his girl problems were a lot simpler than Bruce's. His father had a knack for attracting the villainesses. He bit back the urge to chuckle as he thought of Catwoman and Thalia al Ghul fighting each other over his father. The two were definitely not who you'd expect the Dark Knight to fall for and it showed in the trouble they caused. That was why Dick preferred to stay away from those problems. He noticed girls, he was 18 after all, but he had enough to deal with thank you very much.

He was a loner. Maybe it was because of how he pushed everyone away before he returned. Even now he was isolated, hardly going anywhere that didn't involve his home, superhero business, or Wayne Tech, the last of which he had recently gotten involved in due to Bruce's absence. He hardly went into the field, leading the team from the cave or Watchtower. He yearned to be able to relax but in his life, that was a luxury he couldn't afford. He was a leader of superheroes. He had a responsibility to protect the world from the Light.

**February 20, 2016- 3:24 A.M.**

"Psimon planted mental suggestions in the minds of his doctors and nurses," he said to Alpha Squad. "They've been tending to an empty hospital bed for months." He looked at M'gann. "I'm sorry."

"It had to happen eventually," she replied.

"So, no sign of any alien tech?" he asked.

"None," Bumblebee answered. "But what we found was strange enough."

"It was clear in Shimmer's mind that Queen Bee was acting as a middle man, delivering abducted humans to an unknown Partner," M'gann said. Nightwing tensed in shock.

"We questioned all the abductees," Batgirl said. "Most were runaways. All were kidnapped after the destruction of Malina Island and the Kroloteans."

NIghtwing frowned in thought. "So if the Bialians weren't kidnapping humans for the Kroloteans," he said. "Then who is this Partner?"

Wonder Girl sighed. "Another unanswered question," she said.

Nightwing smiled and walked up to her. "New questions keep the investigation moving forward," he said. "You saved lives and you got each other home safe. That's a successful mission in my book. Good work Alpha."

He watched as the rest of the squad surrounded Wonder Girl. Shaking his head, he snuck away to his room. He had some thinking to do.

Lying on his bed he let the questions fill his mind, hoping that he might find be able to find some answers hidden in his memories.

What was the Light planning? What were they doing to the abducted humans? Who was the mysterious Partner that they were working with. All of it felt so familiar but he couldn't remember how. So much was hidden in his past. It was like a whole other life was being kept from him. He knew the answers were there he just had to find them. Yawning he let himself fall asleep, wondering what he would dream of.

_He was in his pod as usual. Time seemed to blur, his consciousness wavering. He didn't know how long it had been since he had awoken and been out of his pod, but he knew it was hardly more than a couple weeks. In that time he hardly saw the Light, instead Dr. Desmond usually ran tests on him. When a member of the Light was there however, it usually meant that whatever they were doing that day would involve their plan in some way. On these days, he did his best to pay as much attention as he could to everything that happened. Most of the time unfortunately, it was more programming that they did while he was unconscious. Today however, it was something else. He was aware of Dr. Desmond talking to Savage and the others outside the pod._

"_Project Nightwing is going much better than expected on this end," he heard the scientist say. "His levels have shown dramatic increases."_

"_How has he performed outside the pod since he awoke?" Savage asked._

_Dr. Desmond stuttered. "He, uh, hasn't been out sir," he said. _

_ This was definitely the wrong thing to say. "How are we supposed to know if he can perform the tasks if you keep him locked up?" Savage asked. "We can't switch him with the real Robin until we know he will be capable of achieving our goals." Robin tried his best not to react to this. "Open the pod."_

_ "Of course sir," Desmond responded. Robin tensed once again in anticipation as the door to his pod opened. Instead of jumping out however, he slowly exited it and then stopped. _

_ "Good, obeying orders already," Savage said. "Follow me." He led them out of the room and Robin and Dr. Desmond complied. Robin surveyed his surroundings carefully as they made their way through maze like tunnels of what looked like flesh. He guessed the orbs all around them were telepathic relays for the genomorphs. Finally, Savage led them into a room that looked split between a gymnasium and a computer lab. A few members of the Light were already their waiting. _

_ "Do you know what our plan is Robin?" Savage asked. Robin shook his head. "Our plan is to evolutionize humanity, to bring out a person's true potential. Yet, it's so much more than that. Humans grow and change but there are always limits. It is these limits that stunt our growth. Do you know who puts these limits in place, the Justice League. The Light is working to remove the barrier they have set in place to keep us from achieving our true greatness. That is why we have created you. Unlike we had originally planned, we decided to start removing these limits in you. Normally, the meta-gene that give a human powers is dormant, but we have managed to awaken yours. Now the question becomes, how do we control it? Can we manipulate it to control the level a power a human has?"_

_ "Why me?" Robin asked._

_ "You are the key," Savage said. "You are the one who will help us prefect the mode."_

_ Savage's words from right before he became unconscious after first awakening returned to him. _

_**"Just born and the kid's already crashing the mode."**_

_ "What if I don't want to?" Robin asked. Instead of becoming angry, Savage actually seemed amused._

_ "Whoever said you had a choice."_

**A.N.: Okay, next is going to be more hints on what happened to the original Dick and then Bloodlines followed by Depths which will take up around three chapters or more (not the episode itself but the whole events surrounding it.) I will probably have a few chapters in between the two episodes to fill the time in between them. **

** Please review. I get inspired when you do. **


	7. Chapter 7

_AN. : Okay, so this is actually Bloodlines. I thought it was more appropriate considering the last chapter. Don't worry. I'll make sure to focus on some hints of what happened to the original Dick in the chapters in between this and Depths, which I am interested in writing. This will follow part of Bloodlines. This chapter is already huge. I might split the episode and the reactions into two different chapters. _

_Fighter1357- Yep, and who knows. If it's not in the next chapters it might be what I write at the end of Depths, maybe for Dick's birthday. Ha ha. Honestly. I was thinking of writing it here but I want to give a few more hints before I do it. _

_**February 28 10:07 EST **_

Nightwing couldn't help mulling over his dream from a week before. What did it mean? Was he a meta like Wally? The thought sent shivers through his spine. He wasn't super, he was just an ordinary human, right? Still, he couldn't help but remember the familiar rush of power he had felt when attacking the Light and the Justice League five years ago. That hadn't been natural.

"**Decryption, completed. Translation, completed."** Nightwing stared at the screen before him. The information he was reading was definitely huge. He had no trouble connecting them with his dream. So much being normal. If what he was seeing was correct, things just got a whole lot more dangerous. Through the screen, he watched Robin and Beast boy walk towards its counterpart.

"Is that the Krolotean intell?" he heard Robin ask as his brother stepped up to the other screen.

"What Krolotean intell?" Beast Boy asked.

"The intell J'onn and M'gann recovered on Malina Island before it was destroyed," Nightwing answered.

"Huh, noted," Beast Boy said.

"Apparently the Kroloteans were snatching humans to use as guinea pigs," he continued. Both he and Tim paled as the thought hit too close to home. "They were hoping to find something, something inside us."

'And they succeeded,' he thought, remembering what Savage had told him. It was his fault. Just like everything else.

"What?" Robin asked.

He frowned. "There's no English word for it. The nearest translation is meta-gene," he answered. There it was. The connection he had been looking for.

"What's a meta-gene?" Robin asked.

Nothing good, at least when it pertained to the Light.

"Never met a gene I didn't like," Beast Boy joked.

**"Warning," **the feminine voice of the computer said.** "Unknown energy impulse detected." **

They turned alarmed and the screens disappeared. Nightwing watched as a huge ball of energy appeared in the control room. He stood protectively in front of Robin and Beast Boy as it dissipated revealing a smoking machine.

"Stand ready," He said. He drew his escrima sticks from his belt and noted Robin doing the same with his staff. The machine door opened and he could make out a gloved figure flipping through the smoke.

"Ta da!" a teenage boy with brown hair exclaimed. He was wearing a red and white suit with lightning bolts and red goggles.

**"Intruder alert. Intruder alert."**

"Computer lock down cave," Nightwing ordered.

"Well," Beast Boy said. "I think we found our unknown energy impulse."

"Impulse," the boy exclaimed, "that's crash! Catchy, dramatic, one word," he zipped over to Nightwing with familiar superspeed, surprising him. "Like Nightwing," he moved to Robin, "and Robin," finally Beast Boy, "and Beast Boy. Except that's two words. Blue Beetle's two words. Hey!" The newly named Impulse looked excitedly at Nightwing. "Is he here too?" He zipped over to a large corridor, obviously knowing his way around the cave. "Never mind," he said. "Impulse can find that out for himself." Bart laughed and zipped down the corridor leaving them staring after him.

"You two, take him down, now!" He ordered. The two immediately responded, Robin collapsing his staff and Beast Boy changing into a cheetah as they chase after Impulse. "We're crash," he said ominously.

He hid and waited until finally Impulse zipped back into the room.

"Ha ha," the speedster said. "You can't catch me that easily."

Sneaking up behind him, Nightwing hit him, knocking him to the ground. He pulled two sets of cuffs from his belt and locked impulse's hands and feet together behind his back.

The speedster groaned and looked up at him.

"Now, that was crash," he said.

"For you maybe," Impulse said. "Me, I'm totally feeling the mode."

Nightwing felt a jolt of shock go through him at that. While he had kept saying crash, the word used in conjunction with "mode" reminded him of the note and his dream. He still had no clue what they meant, but he knew they had something to do with Meta-genes and the Light.

A little while later Nightwing held a glass of water, listening into Impulse talk to Robin and Beast Boy.

"You're a tourist, from the future?" Robin asked in disbelief.

"Look so surprised? Half the meat at Comic Con are from my era," Impulse replied. "Look, look, look, guys, we should all be friends. I'm really one of you, part of the heroic legacy, right? I'm Bart Allen, grandson of Barry Allen…Flash."

Well, he certainly had the speedster part down.

"Noted," Beast Boy said. "Not believed, but noted."

"What's not to believe?" Impulse asked. "I've crealy got Flash's speed, his amazing good looks. Frankly, I can't wait to meet him." Nightwing tensed at the way Bart said that, not believing when Bart gasped and continued. He had recognized it as a slip up. The kid was telling the truth. "Uh, you know, back when he was in his prime." Nightwing knew that was his cue.

"Well Bart," He said, entering the room. "Coming all the way from the future you must have worked up quite a thirst." He offered the glass of water to Bart.

Thanks," Bart said, drinking it as Nightwing held the glass. He suddenly stopped. "Oh. Ah, you're trying to get a DNA sample. You need my spit." Bart spit in the glass. "Ha, that's such a Dick Grayson thing to do."

He froze at that, his eyes wide. Just hearing that made him cringe. No, he wasn't Dick Grayson. He had tried not to be since he became Nightwing. But it was the way Bart said it that really hit him. He knew.

"How did," Robin asked.

"See, I known stuff only future boy would know," Bart said. "Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Garfield Logan."

"Your name's Tim, and yours is Dick?" Beast Boy asked.

"Oops, spoilers," Bart said. "This secret identity thing is so retro. I mean, you can call me Impulse, or Bart, or Bart Allen, or Bart Impulse Allen. It's all crash."

"Is it possible he might actually be telling the truth?" Robin asked Nightwing. "Could he really be from the future?"

Beast Boy walked up to Bart and pointed a finger at him. "Tell us something we don't know yet. When do I become leader of the Team? When do I join the Justice League? When do I get my own reality series?"

"Sorry BB," Bart said. "Never was the best history student. Besides we can't risk altering the time stream. We do that we're all feeling the mode."

Nightwing shivered at those words.

"And the mode would be…bad?" Beast Boy asked.

"Doesn't get any worse," Bart answered. Silently, he agreed. Even not knowing what it was he knew it was exactly as Bart said. "Always, crash the mode."

"Um, noted," Beast Boy said.

"But why?" he asked. "What is it?" Before Bart could reply, the computer alerted them to an arrival.

**"Recognized, Malcolm Duncan A10." **

"Ooh, sounds like a door opening somewhere," Bart said. "And that's my cue." He vibrated and the cuffs fell off his arms and legs to the floor. He stood up. "Buh bye." He dashed off.

"Don't worry; the Peregrine Falcon is the world's fastest bird. He won't get away," Beast Boy said. He changed into the falcon and flies off after Bart. A confused Mal took off his helmet and dodged him.

"Doesn't stand a chance, does he?" Robin asked Nightwing.

'Nope," he replied. "Impulse is too fast." He turned and swiped his hand causing a screen to appear. "But at least we can track him."

"You planted a tracer. It will fall off of his feet," Robin said, holding the glass of water Bart had sipped from.

"It won't," he said smiling. "He drank it."

"Subcutaneous microtracker in the water, nice," Robin said in realization.

"Thanks," he replied. "He's making a B-line for Central City." He pulled out his phone, speed-dialing Wally. "Hey, need your help."

After explaining about Bart to Wally, he was finally able to think about everything that had just happened. He knew for a fact that Bart had returned to the past for a reason. He shuddered to think what the future was like. He was good at reading people and he could tell that Bart's impulsiveness was just a front. Everything he did and said was carefully thought out. His slip-ups were actually warnings. Warnings of what, though? He had a bad feeling they would soon find out.

**February 29, 2016**

If yesterday hadn't been stressing with Bart's arrival, the news of Jason, Roy and Jade's arrival was enough to make the headache he already had worsen. He waited in anticipation as they entered the command room of the Cave. Judging by their faces it wasn't good.

"Nothing?" he asked.

"It was a dead end," Red Arrow replied. "Whatever was there wasn't him."

He sighed. "I knew it was too good to be true," he said. "Wherever he is he obviously doesn't want to be found."

"We'll find him," Jason said. "He can't hide forever."

"Who says he needs to hide," a voice said, making some of them jump. He turned and rolled his eyes at the sight of Tim.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, you know him the best since you're both the same in a way," Tim said. "What would you do if you were trying to keep hidden from both us and the Light?"

His eyes widened. "I'd go somewhere familiar, somewhere safe and hide in plain sight."

Tim nodded. "So, any ideas?"

He pulled something from his utility belt. It was a flier. It was a longshot but it was better than nothing.

"Squirt, how do you feel about going to the circus?" he asked.

**A.N. Look out for the next chapter Fighter1357. I hope you liked this.**

**I didn't really like this chapter. I basically wrote it from the watching the episodes story that I started on. Rewriting an episode like that and including NIghtwing's thoughts is hard with the way this episode is written.**


	8. Chapter 8

_A.N.: Alright. I'm glad to see that you liked the last chapter. For Fighter1357 this chapter takes place in a familiar setting. I'm doing research as I write it so I can keep facts straight. This basically means I'm rewatching episodes to get a feel for it. It's going to be hard since I haven't been to the circus in a long time. I will have flashbacks and other things. As we're coming up to Depth things are going to become more interesting and I might have a few surprises. This chapter will be partly based on the New Batman Adventures episode Animal Act and Young Justice episode Performance as well as the comics which I am going to try to reference. I have also been spelling Dubillex's name wrong. Oops._

_Disclaimer: I do not own._

Ch. 8

**March 1****, ****2016**

"Welcome to Haley's International Travelling Circus," Dick said. Tim was grinning beside him.

"Why did I have to come here again?" Jason asked from behind them.

"Because it's nice for all three of us to just spend quality time together without any interference," he replied.

Jason snorted. "This coming from the person who's rivaling Batman for loner of the century."

"Said the narcissistic sociopath," he retorted. He noticed Tim roll his eyes.

"Can you two stop fighting for one minute?" Tim asked. "We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves."

"Well I don't know about Dickie-Bird here but I am," Jason said.

Tim sighed. Before Dick could respond to Jason's comment he noticed a familiar form ordering around the circus staff as they set up.

Grinning, he made his way towards it. "Hey Pop," he said. "Long time no see."

The white-haired man looked up and smiled in shock when he saw him. "Dick, is that you? Man have you grown. It's been so long."

"Five years," he replied. "Definitely too long."

"And who are these two with you?" Haly asked. He studied Tim as though trying to see something.

"My younger brothers, Jason and Tim," he replied.

Haly nodded. "I'm guessing you three aren't here just to see the show," he said.

Dick nodded, Haley's words from the last time they had spoken echoing in his mind.

"_**Son, you've grown, but some things never change, like the sight of a Grayson on the trapeze. You can't fake that, can't hide it."**_

If his double had been here, Pop Haley would know.

"We're searching for somebody who's been here in the last five years. He would have looked like me but younger."

Haly frowned. "I'll think about it. I'm sure I remember something happening not long after the last time you were here. Meanwhile, I'm sure there are some people here who would love to see you before the show starts."

Dick nodded. "Thanks," he said.

He led his brothers to the train where everything was being unloaded. He caught sight of two familiar people and grinned.

"Raya, Miranda!" He exclaimed. The two women about Dick's age turned and gaped when they saw him. "Dick!" His childhood friends exclaimed together.

"What are you doing here?" Miranda asked.

"What, can't a guy come visit his old home?" Dick replied.

"It's been nine years!" Raya exclaimed.

"Well, five actually," Dick replied, rubbing his neck.

Miranda narrowed her eyes. "And you didn't come and talk to us?" she asked.

"It was during the foreign tour when Parasite was using the circus to steal things," he replied. "I thought you had bigger things to worry about."

Jason chuckled beside him. "Bad move bro," he said.

Miranda glared at Dick and he unconsciously shied away from the whip in her hand. A loud trumpet interrupted them and Dick grinned. He turned around and rested his hand on the elephant that had walked up behind him.

"Hey Elinore," he said, laughing. The elephant brushed her trunk against him and then did the same with Tim who reached a trembling hand out to her.

"She likes you," Dick said.

"She doesn't usually like a lot of people," Miranda said watching in shock.

"So, what is it you're looking for Dick?" Raya asked. "I know you and that is definitely your I'm trying to find something face."

"Am I that easy to read?" he asked.

"Yes," Jason replied.

"I was wondering if you had seen a boy that looked like me as a kid since five years ago," he said.

Miranda shook her head. "Nope, can't say I have."

Rayna frowned. "Well, there is something" she said. She pulled out an old black book with a piece of paper inside it from her purse and handed it to him. "I found this a year or so ago. We had a stow-away on the train. I chased after him. I never got a good look at him but he was definitely familiar. He disappeared and left this. I recognized the handwriting on the note immediately so I kept it."

He frowned and read the note Once again, it was three simple words that made no sense. _I'm going home. _This was home, right? Where else would he consider as home? His eyes widened and then darkened. If his younger self had been heading where he thought he should have reached it by now. The only reason he wouldn't have was if he had been stopped on the way by the Light.

"Dick, you okay?" Tim asked. His brother's voice distracted him and he folded the note, slipping it into his pocket with its counterpart.

"Fine," he lied. In truth, he was angry. The Light had gotten to his brother before he could. He had failed another person. He turned to Raya and Miranda who were watching him with worry. "Why don't we help you unload the train?" he asked.

A while later the three were sitting in the Big Top, watching the show. Of course, with their luck something had to happen, especially since they were in Gotham. Of course it had to be the Joker.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls!" the Clown Prince of Crime exclaimed, suddenly bursting into the Big Top in a puff of smoke with his lackey Harley. "I heard the circus was in town and thought I'd pay a visit to the amateurs you guys think are so funny."

Dick growled. He so did not need this today. "I'm definitely not feeling the aster," he muttered before jumping down the stands through the crowd of panicked civilians. Once he got onto the ground he walked over to the Joker, his arms cross. "You've caught me in a bad mood, so I give you this one chance to run," he said.

The Joker laughed. "Tough guy, huh. Who do you think you are, Batman?"

Ignoring Tim and Jason who had just joined him Dick uncrossed his arms. "Nope, close though." With that he punched the clown followed by a low kick, knocking him to the ground. He gracefully caught a bound of rope that Miranda threw to him. After tying up the Joker, he noticed that Jason and Tim had already taken care of Harley.

"You're kidding me," Jason said, staring in shock when he noticed that Dick was already done with his opponent. "After so many years of fighting this guy you simply defeat him with two moves."

"Could have done it in less but I was bored," he replied, resisting the urge to chuckle at the clown now staring up at him in shock.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Jason said as Haley walked up to them with Commissioner Gordon and several police officers.

"Thanks, we'll take it from here," Gordon said. Dick nodded and stepped away from the two villains with Jason and Tim. He watched as the they were escorted out of the tent before turning to Haly.

"Sorry about that," he said.

Haly chuckled. "Nothing to be sorry for," he said. His smile turned into a frown. "I don't know what I can tell you about your question from earlier but I do think I should give you this" He pulled a black book from his pocket and handed it to Dick. "You might want to look at this."

"Um, thanks," he replied, looking at the small notebook. He opened it to a page and his eyes fell on a list of names. At the bottom was his own.

"What is this?" he asked.

"A list of the children that we were forced to select as assassins for the Court of Owls several years ago," Haly replied. Dick stared in shock. "After you were adopted Raymond took your place."

The anger that was already threatening to break through had risen higher. Without another word he stormed off, the book still in his hand. He didn't want to know what other crazy things his past held right now. He had been used and manipulated way too much.

He didn't know where he was going. He stopped at their car when his phone rang. He glanced down at the number, recognizing it as Lucius's. Great, just what he needed. Who else had decided to ruin what was supposed to be a great day?

"Please tell me a disaster that needs my attention hasn't come up. I'm definitely not in the mood," he said, answering the phone.

"Sorry Sir, but I'm afraid Mr. Luthor would disagree about that first part,' Lucius replied.

He groaned. Great, as if things hadn't hit rock bottom yet.

"Tell him I'm busy and can't be bothered. Whatever it is he wants, we're not giving it to him," he said.

"You know it's rude to ignore somebody who takes time out of there schedule to talk to you," Luthor's voice said.

Dick rubbed his temples and leaned back against the car. "I need a vacation," he muttered under his breath.

**A.N.: No flashback in this chapter, which is sad cause I thought I would. Poor Dick, he can't catch a break. The whole Court of Owls thing is actually from the comics, though I haven't read them. I decided to reference. Hope you love this chapter as much as the last.**


	9. Chapter 9

_A.N.: Took a break after the last double post. I've been busy watching the Decorah Eagles on Ustream. I admit I really want to do Depth because of how huge it is. But in order to give you guys some more material before I decide if this story will go on hiatus I am going to hold off on that. This chapter in takes place after the last one and I admit I have many ideas. The Court of Owls thing probably won't be important to the story except for another stressor for Dick. Things are only going to get a lot harder for him before they get better. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own._

Ch. 9

Waiting for the others Dick couldn't help but think of everything that had happened. He had come here hoping to find some clue where his younger self was and instead had discovered not only that he was probably dead, but also that if it hadn't been for Bruce he would have been forced to the other side of the law. It seemed no matter what how hard he tried his life would never be his own.

Why him? What was so special about him? Closing his eyes, he let himself succumb to the emotions that were flooding through him.

**Flashback:**

_He was eight years old. He stared in awe at the large city they had arrived at. Gotham, the home of the Dark Knight._

_ "Mom! Dad!" he exclaimed. He stared over at his parents and uncle who were helping set up. "Do you think I'll get to see Batman again?" he asked. He had been so amazed when he had seen the superhero the night before. The man had even praised him for calling the police on the guy that had tried to hurt his parents. _

_ "Maybe Dick," his dad answered. _

_ Dick nodded eagerly. "I want to be like him someday," he said. He barely noticed his parents and uncle's tense reaction to his words. He was too busy imaging what it would be like to fight side by side with Batman and the Justice League. _

_He grinned. "I'll be called Robin, or maybe Nightwing." _

_He pretended to throw bataarangs and disk like objects while flipping and attacking an invisible villain acrobatically. He then pretended to pull out two escrima sticks and ward of the enemy with them. _

_ A chuckle made him jump. He turned around and faced a raven-haired man in a suit. "That was some fighting kid," the man said. Dick stared in awe at him. He recognized the man from the news._

_ "You're Bruce Wayne," he said in shock._

_ The man chuckled again. "Yes, I am, but call me Bruce. Mr. Wayne makes me sound old. And who would you be?"_

_ Dick grinned. "Dick Grayson of the Flying Graysons," he said. _

_ "Well it's nice to meet you Dick," Bruce said. _

_ "I'm sorry about our son Bruce," His dad said, walking up to them. _

_ "Nonsense John,' Bruce said. "There's nothing to be sorry about. I was enjoying your sons performance."_

_ As he listened to his dad and Mr. Wayne talk, he stared at the billionaire. Something about him seemed so familiar. Using his ability to read people that he had gained from watching so many people come and go at the circus, he tried to figure out how. Mr. Wayne seemed to put on a mask of happiness but Dick could see a loneliness beneath it. It was the same lonely feeling he had felt when he had seen Batman._

_**Later**_

___They were dead. He would never here his mom call him her little Robin again or practice routines with his Dad and uncle. Dick trembled in shock as the sight of his family falling to their deaths repeated over and over in his mind. He had reached out to them but nothing he could have done would have stopped their fall. His uncle was in a coma and the doctor's didn't know when or if he would ever wake up. Somehow, he knew that the man from last night was responsible. The man had murdered his family out of revenge for being arrested after his failed attempt to get them to buy his protection. _

_ "There you are Dick," a voice said. He looked up and found Bruce Wayne standing before him. "Everyone's been looking for you."_

_ He didn't reply. He just stared straight ahead, numb. He wanted to be with them. He didn't deserve to live. He had failed to save them. He barely looked up when Mr. Wayne sat next to him, not speaking. There was an understanding look in his eyes, different from the pity he had seen from everyone else. They sat in silence for a while._

_ "What's going to happen to me?" he asked, finally. _

_ "You'll most likely go to an orphanage or into the foster care system unless somebody in the circus takes you in," was the reply._

_ "I don't want to go back there or to any of those place," he said. "Why can't I decide, it's my life." He glared at the ground, the first emotion he had shown in a while._

_ "Sadly, it doesn't work that way," Bruce said. _

"_That isn't fair," Dick said, crossing his arms._

_Bruce rested a hand on his shoulder. "Life isn't fair. That's a lesson that few truly understand." He frowned. "There is another option though."_

_ Dick looked up at him. "What?" he asked._

_ "You could come live with me," Bruce said._

_ Dick stared at the man in shock. "Really, but why?"_

_ Bruce sighed. "I was good friends with your parents. I always came to their performances when they were in town. You wouldn't remember me. You were too young the last time." _

_ "There's more, isn't there?" Dick asked, his eyes narrowing._

_ "You'd make a great detective," Bruce said. "Yes, I offered because I know what you're going through. I watched my parents get shot right in front of me when I was about your age and I could do nothing to stop it. I don't want you going through the dark times I did. Revenge isn't the answer. The best thing you can do is move forward." He turned and looked at Dick. "Your family would have wanted that." He pulled out something from his pocket and handed it to Dick as he stood up. "Call me if you make up your mind." With that he left and Dick was alone._

_ Dick looked down at the card in his hand. He was about to put it in his pocket when he saw something on the back. Flipping it over, he stared at the Bat symbol in shock. Memories rushed through his mind and suddenly he was up and running after Bruce. "Mr. Wayne! Wait!" His decision had been made. _

** End Flashback**

Dick shook his head, returning to the present. Had Bruce known about the Court of Owls? Had that been another reason he had been adopted? He found himself weary of the answers. Being adopted by Bruce had been his first step into becoming Robin, a step that had led him to being taken by Cadmus and the Light and replaced by a clone.

Except, he was the clone. He had been controlled by the Light to bring down the Justice League. Now here he was so many years later, Nightwing, the leader of the Team. But that wasn't really who he was, not completely. He had buried a part of him five years ago and now it was starting to make its way back to the surface, desperate to make itself known. It was time to retake control of his life once again and move forward. It was time for Dick Grayson to step out of the shadows.

_**A.N.: So, love it, hate it? I had trouble actually coming up with this chapter because it was originally supposed to be a confrontation with Lex at Wayne Enterprises. So instead of rushing into that I decided to give Dick some thinking room so he could cool down after what happened. So this is my version of how he met Bruce and his reaction to his family's death. **_

_**There will be more coming as Dick tries to move on with his life and take control of it after finally somewhat accepting the death of the original Dick and his past. This revelation comes just as somebody else is finding the courage to reveal himself. Hard choices must be made soon and our favorite bird must find the strength to do what needs to be done to save the world. His decisions might just change the future as we know it (or Bart). **_

_**Please Review. I want to hear your thoughts.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_A.N.: Hello everybody. The beginning of this chapter will take place in somebody else's viewpoint instead of Dick's. I'm sure you'll love who. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own._

Ch. 10

**March 2, 2016 **

_**Original Dick's POV**_

_They thought he was dead. He had finally gotten up the courage to help his brother find him and instead of him realizing the truth his clone had come to the wrong conclusions, partly anyways. The realization made him stare at his clone with mixed expressions. He was glad the realization had helped Dick find himself but he couldn't help but wonder what would happen when his brother realized the truth and if his brother's false belief wouldn't lead him to doing something stupidly reckless and dangerous. Whatever Dick was planning was obviously huge._

_ Memories filled his mind as he remembered how he had come to learn the truth of what had happened to him nine years ago._

_**Flashback:**_

_** Nine Years before**_

___'__You must wake up,'__ a voice said. __'Do not open your eyes or speak but listen to me.'_

_'Who are you?'_ he thought.

_'I am Dubbilex, a telepathic being that was made by scientists at Cadmus, where you are now,' __the voice replied. __'They have kidnapped you and replaced you with a clone they had made from your DNA.'_

_Robin started to react but a memory resurfaced in his mind. He had been knocked unconscious while out on patrol alone. He had barely woken up to find himself slung across somebody's shoulder at the sound of somebody shouting. Before he had become unconscious again he had caught sight of a boy who looked just like him but in a white uniform sans mask and cape. He had thought he heard his own voice inside his mind saying __"I have to help him".__ The words had come from his clone.___

_'Why are you helping me?'__ he asked._

_ 'I was very close to your clone. I cannot let you end up trapped like him. He will need your help in the future. The Light is getting stronger. They must be stopped. I have to free you before they can move you.'_

_'What's going on? What do you mean?' __ he asked, confused._

_'It is easier to show you. I did this for your clone as well,' __Dubbilex said. Robin blinked as knowledge and memories filled his mind, some of them obviously his clones while others were detached images or feelings. He did his best to stay absolutely still and gave a mental sigh when they stopped. He had a major headache. What he had just learned from Dubbilex filled him with dread and terror. He had to stop it. Before he could say anything Dubbilex's fear filled him._

_'They are here,'__ the Genomorph Troll said. Suddenly Dubbillex groaned and Robin was alarmed when he could no longer sense his presence. _

_'Dubbilex!'__ he cried out. No response. Robin fought back the urge to react as he felt his pod moving. _

_ Finally, the pod stopped and he tensed. He knew what he was about to do was risky and totally recklessly dangerous but he had to escape. He silently apologized to the kryptonian Dubbelix had told him they were also transporting. _

_'Sorry Match,'__ he thought. _'_I promise to find a way to save you and help you get better.'_

_Opening his eyes, he repressed a grin at the surprised faces surrounding him. Without a single thought, he kicked the glass of the pod and jumped out. _

_"What are you waiting for, get him!" Savage screamed. _

_Dodging and weaving through the the unconscious bodies of the Cadmus employees and genomorphs Robin ran as fast as he could to the exit. Unfortunately, he found his way blocked by Lex Luthor. _

_ "You're not going anywhere Kid," the billionaire said._

_ "I have to disagree with that," a voice said. Robin stared in shock as Guardian, who had been standing catatonically across the room, punched Luthor and struggled to drag the billionaire away from the door. "Go kid, I can handle this," he ordered. _

_ Robin nodded and ran through the doors. He flinched involuntarily at the bright light that suddenly hit him but kept running. He ignored the cries of outrage and the sound of his pursuers, focused only on running until he could find a safe place to hide._

_**End Flashback.**_

_ That had been five years ago. He had changed so much since then but he always feared he would be found. That was why he had changed everything about himself. He was no longer Dick Grayson or Robin. He didn't know who he was. He hid behind a lie every day, knowing that one day the truth would be revealed and he could no longer hide from it. Now, he feared that his decision to keep himself hidden might cost his clone his life._

_**Clone Dick's POV**_

__"I've given up on my younger self," Dick said.

"Dick, you can't be serious," Jason said.

Dick stared at his brothers in annoyance. They had been like this since they had returned from Haly's Circus. While he cared so much about them he didn't want them involved in his plans. He wouldn't put them at risk. Yet, they always seemed to find a way to do that for him. This was why he hadn't wanted to tell them his decision concerning his younger double. Unfortunately, Jason and Tim had been trained by Bruce in detective skills just as he had. They knew something was wrong.

"You're really just going to give up after trying for so long to find him?" Tim asked, staring at him in shock and something akin to horror.

"He was headed here," he said. "The note was written a year ago. He would have reached here by now or given me some sign that he was alive."

"The first note Dick!" Tim exclaimed. "You told me it was found around the same time. Blüdhaven is closer to Gotham than where Haly's was. The notes were obviously written for you. You just found them in the wrong order."

Dick shook his head. "It's time to stop dreaming. He's gone and nothing will change that. It's just another reason we have to bring down the Light that much sooner"

Tim narrowed his eyes. "What are you planning?" he asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about," he lied. Ignoring his brother's protests, he walked to his room and activated his computer. Making sure everything was secure; he pulled out his cell and dialed a familiar number.

"Wally, it's me. Contact the others and tell them I've made my decision," he said. He walked to his closet and activated a secret compartment inside. Pulling out a box with one hand he opened it and stared at its contents. "I'm going in."

"_Are you serious! It's too soon!" _he heard Wally exclaim on the other end. _"Dude, calm down and think clearly. You're obviously too emotional. We should all talk about this first."_

Dick continued to stare at the box's contents. He gingerly touched the red and black costume that lay inside. "That's just it Wally," he said. "For the first time I am thinking clearly. This is what has to happen." He sighed. "But fine, we'll meet at the usual time and place. Just Don't expect me to change my mind." He felt familiar power rush through him as he remembered his reasons for doing this. "I've made my choice and it's too late to back out now."

_**A.N.: Alright, this last part was inspired by a review though I don't know how far it will change things concerning Depth yet. **_

_**As for the Lex Luthor talk at the end of chapter 8, that will come back soon, I just haven't found the right part to add it. Maybe it will be a one-shot. **_


	11. Chapter 11

_A.N.: Hey. So, This chapter will explain what Dick is planning and what he has in store for the Light. It will probably also show Dick and Lex's talk. This chapter takes place right after the last one but is mostly a flashback. Also, there will be a surprise for those of you who expected how things were going to go. Ha, ha. Don't hate me for the huge cliffhanger you're going to get. _

_Have you figured out about the original Dick yet? I know some of you have. I'm not going to tell you if you're right yet, but expect a big surprise when we reach the date March 21__st__ in the story. _

___Disclaimer: I do not own._

Ch. 11

Dick Grayson stared at the red and black costume in his hands. He had had it made not long ago, soon after he and the others had come up with the plan to place a mole in the Light. Now, Kaldur wasn't enough. They needed someone else. He had suggested himself but Artemis kept insisting it be her, that he was too important. Maybe she was right but he couldn't put her in danger. He had fought long and hard with this decision. There were so many things that could go wrong. His chances of discovery were high. He shuddered at what he knew he would soon be doing. It seemed he would become the assassin he was originally supposed to be after all. He sighed as he remembered how he had come to the decision.

_**Flashback: March 1, 2016**_

"_We're leaving," Dick said as Haly, Jason and Tim walked up to the car._

_ "Dick, we should talk about this," Haly said._

_ "Luthor's at Wayne Enterprises," he interrupted._

_ Jason and Tim stared in shock. "What does he want?" Tim asked._

_ "Don't know, but whatever it is he's not getting it," he replied. "I'm dropping you two off at the manor and then heading there."_

_ The two glanced at each other. "No way," the said together. _

_Dick shook his head. "No, I'll talk to him alone," he said. "You two are going to stay at the mansion."_

_Before they could protest he glared at hem and they sighed, reluctantly giving up for the moment. He turned to Haly. "We'll talk later," he said. With that he got into the car, watching as his brothers did the same. _

_A while later Dick walked through the doors of Wayne Tech.(Ind./Ent.). Lucius greeted him at the door. "Good, you're here. I assume you know of the recent thefts that have been taking place," he said. He and Dick entered the elevator that had just opened nearby. They were the only ones inside. With a tilt of his head up to the camera Lucius let him know that the security feed had been disabled and they were free to talk._

_Dick nodded. "They've only occurred at our company," he said. "Usually simple parts like computer chips. The culprit always leaves a painted red X at the crime scene." The thefts unnerved him. They reminded him too much of the ones that Parasite had committed. Unlike Parasite though, the culprit was never caught on camera. There was no doubt the Light was behind this._

"_Mr. Luthor is asking for a joint collaboration to increase our security and join our projects," Lucius said. There was obvious disbelief in his tone._

"_And you don't believe that," he said. _

"_Not one bit," Lucius replied. "I tried to tell him to leave but he kept insisting to see Mr. Wayne. He seemed greatly intrigued when I told him that he was away on a business trip." The warning in his voice made Dick nod. Lucius knew as well as he did that Bruce was on a business trip, but not for his company. Lex was getting suspicious and that meant the Light might soon realize eight of the Justice League members were away, if they hadn't already. "After that he asked to speak to you and you know what happened next." Dick gave Lucius an apologetic look to which the man shook his head, but remained silent._

"_Is it ready?" Dick asked suddenly. _

_Lucius nodded. "Yes, if Mr. Luthor hadn't come I still would have called you to tell you."_

_Dick sighed in relief. "Good, our plans might have to be put into place quicker than expected."_

_This made Lucius frown in worry but he said nothing. They both watched as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. The rest of the walk to his office was spent in silence. _

"_I'll wait here," Lucius finally said once they reached the door. Dick nodded and entered his office. He resisted the urge to glare at the familiar bald man standing at one of the windows, staring out." _

_At the sound of his entrance the man turned around, a grin on his face that grew when he saw him. "Dick!" the man exclaimed. "Look at you! How you've grown! It's been too long!" _

'_Not long enough,' he thought. "Indeed," he said aloud, trying his best to act like Bruce would have._

"_I must say I wasn't surprised to hear that you've taken a place in Wayne Industries even though you're only what, 18? You always were a genius," Luthor said._

"_Let's cut to the chase Luthor," Dick said, crossing his arms. "We both know you aren't here to exchange niceties or convince me to accept your help."_

"_You're right," Luthor said. "I came to warn you. You have an idea of what we are planning. Give up and don't stand in our way."_

_Dick let out a dry laugh. "You really think that will ever happen," he said. "You know me better than that."_

_Luthor turned back to the window. "What about what will happen to everyone? This is just the beginning. You know that. In the end, you'll fail everyone and it will all be your fault. You've already failed your real self. Can you really watch as everyone you care about and more fall?"_

_Dick narrowed his eyes. "What did you do to him?" he growled. _

"_Nothing you need to worry about,"' Luthor replied. "He is one with the Light now."_

_This only made Dick's returning anger grow. _

"_You should follow his lead," Luthor continued. "At least he didn't risk the life of his friends in a useless quest."_

_Dick froze at that. They couldn't possibly know. There was no way Kaldur had been compromised. He stared horrified at the back of Luthor's head. He really hoped it was a bluff. _

"_That's enough," he said, pushing back his emotions. "We have nothing more to talk about. You know my decision." _

_Luthor turned and nodded. "Of course, I understand. I do hope you reconsider though. The world will certainly be, uninteresting, without you." With that, Luthor walked to the door, stopping before he opened it. "By the way," he said. "If I were you I'd be really worried about your company's thief. He must be well trained to be able to escape being caught by your technology. Who knows where he came from?"_

_Dick stared in trepidation as he watched Luthor exit his office. So he was right. The thief had been hired by the Light, but why? His fear of the future grew and he suddenly knew what he would do. Luthor had been right. He had let too many of his friends get hurt. It was time for him to do things himself. _

_The door opened and he sensed Lucius enter the room. "Take me to it," he said, turning to face the trusted employee. Lucius nodded grimly. "This way," he said. At Dick's glance he said, "Mr. Luthor has left. The security software you set up is already scanning to check that he has done nothing to compromise the company." Dick nodded knowingly._

"_Good," he said. He followed Lucius out of his office and down into a secret lab that he knew also contained a zeta tube. It was huge and full of equipment but he focused solely on the red and black costume in a display case. _

"_It's just as you requested, Sir," Lucius said. He went over to the display and pressed several buttons on a console nearby. The display opened and Dick walked up to it. _

"_Perfect," he said. _

"_I assume you want to test it out in the field?" Lucius asked._

"_Is there any other way?" he replied._

_**End Flashback**_

**Later that night- March 2**

It had been several hours since he had talked to Wally. He hadn't left the room since. Now he was dressed in the black and white costume. It was time for the test run. He walked over to his open window, preparing to jump out. With a great jump, he disappeared into the darkness of the night.

A while later he chuckled underneath his breath as he as he snuck into what would one day be his own company. He made his way to the lab he had gotten his suit from, dodging and disabling all the security. He was waiting in front of the case the suit had come from when a lithe figure snuck into the room in a red and black similar to his own with a white mask with a red X on it. It was a prototype of his own. He stepped slightly forward, letting his presence be known. The figure jumped and stared in shock at him and the computer chip in his hand.

"Looking for this kid?" he asked.

**A.N.: 6-17- Happy Father's Day! This doesn't explain much but I hope you like it. I've been doing my best to split the chapters up as much as I can so that you will get more before the possible hiatus. **

** As always, please review. I would love to hear your thoughts. The next chapter will be dedicated to Ecorum who gave me the idea for the identity of the thief. **


	12. Chapter 12: Missing Birds

_A.N.: So. This chapter is one of the best yet, though I admit the hard part was making the transitions. As I said last chapter this is dedicated to Ecorum. I hope you like this chapter and as I am writing this last (yes even after the bottom A.N.) Don't hate me.*cowers in corner* The muse made me do it! It's not what it looks like! I promise!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own._

Ch. 12

"Who are you?" the thief asked, in a mixture of fear and surprise. Dick grinned but prepared for the fight he knew was coming. He could sense the kid eyeing the chip. He hadn't struck yet because he wan't sure about his new opponent. Judging by his size, he wasn't more than 14 or 15. His build was athletic but slim and fit the suit perfectly which unnerved Dick. There was something familiar about the young teen.

"I could ask you the same thing," he said. "What do you call yourself, Red X?"

The thief twitched at the comment and Dick resisted the urge to laugh. "You didn't answer my question," Red X said.

"You can call me the Renegade," he replied. "I hope you aren't this rude to your bosses. Didn't anyone teach you to respect your elders?"

Red X tilted his head. "You're barely older than I am," he said.

Renegade huffed in false annoyance. "That's not the point." Inwardly he admired the kid's spunk. It was similar to his own. "Besides, don't you have a chip to steal?" he asked grinning.

"I don't suppose you'd just give it to me," Red X said.

"Not a chance," he replied. "If you want it you're going to have to take it from me."

A second after he said that he dodged a kick by Red X who had suddenly appeared in front of him. Responding he aimed a kicked to unbalance his opponent. Red X jumped and flipped on a lab table with an almost eerily familiar grace. As he landed, Renegade had to dodge another kick from his opponent. Pushing back the shock, he focused on the fight that was somehow becoming reminiscent of his spars with Tim. Finally, he decided to end it and struck Red X in the suit's weak point, knocking him to the ground.

"You did good Kid," he said, holding a hand out to Red X who just stared up at him. In his hand was the computer chip. "Take it, you earned it. Tell your bosses who I am. Also, a word of advice Kid. Get out while you still can." With that he tossed the computer chip to Red X and made his way to the exit, wishing he could take the zeta tubes. The thought startled him.

Of course, that was how Red X had gotten into and out of Wayne Tech so easily. Why hadn't he thought of that earlier? Shaking his head he focused on what he had realized. The Zeta Tubes were compromised, again. He frowned. That wasn't possible. He monitored them all the time and when he wasn't someone else was. There had been no tampering or irregularities in the system.

Then, how had he done it? He shook away the dark thoughts that were starting to rise. No, he wasn't going to go down that path. The last time he had believed there was a mole on the team it had turned out to be himself. The only one who fit Red X's physical traits was Tim and that was like suspecting himself. Another realization seemed to crash on him, causing him to almost stumble in his escape. He felt so close to the truth and yet something was still there, lingering out of site. He forced himself not to turn back, knowing Red X was already gone. Lex's words repeated in his mind.

"_He is one with the Light now." _

At that time, he had thought Luthor had been messing with him, trying to unnerve him. He had never thought that Lex was telling the truth. Anger mixed with joy as he thought of the teen he had just fought. He was alive. Yet, was it really such a good thing if he was working for the Light? His need to continue with his plan grew. He had to save him.

A while later he entered the Batcave through the zeta tube. He froze when he saw Alfred sitting on the Batchair in front of the Bat Computer. The butler didn't say anything though, just gave him a knowing but exasperated look.

"Where are the others?" he asked as he entered the part of the cave set up for changes and began to switch into his Nightwing costume, hiding his Renegade one.

"I believe patrolling the city while looking for you," Alfred replied. "They were worried when you disappeared."

Nightwing frowned. Before he could say anything Jason's voice came over the computer.

"Alfred, are you tracking us?" Jason asked. "Robin's missing and isn't answering his com."

Terror filled Nightwing. Pulling on the last of his gear he rushed out to join Alfred at the computer.

"What do you mean he's missing?" he exclaimed.

"Exactly what I said. He's missing. Like you've been for the last hour," Red Hood (Jason) said.

"He disappearead while we were splitting up to search for you," Batgirl said.

"You guys let him go off on his own!" Nightwing exclaimed. "You remember what happened the last time the two of us did that when we were Robin, Jason, or do I need to show you your tombstone again."

"No, you don't," the Red Hood replied. "That night has been engrained in my mind. You know I couldn't do anything to stop him. The Kid's as stubborn as we are."

Nightwing growled. "If anything happens to him…," he said.

"Then you can beat me up as much as you want," Jason replied.

"His tracker is disabled," Alfred said. "I cannot trace him."

Nightwing didn't need any more incentive to rush out of the cave without a word to Alfred. He had a brother to find.

Not again. He couldn't lose another brother. He couldn't lose Tim. As he jumped from building to building he remembered all the time he had spent with him. They had been inseparable. Sure, he had been jealous at first like he had been with Jason, but he had quickly grown to love his brother and had taken him under his wing. When he lost himself, it was Tim who always ended up being his voice of reason. No matter what happened he could always trust him. That was why him being Red X had never been an option. Losing Tim felt like losing a part of himself.

He could feel the familiar power rising and struggled to control it. No, he wouldn't give in, not until he knew for sure, and then, he would release it on whoever had dared mess with his brother.

He landed with a thud next to Batgirl and the Red Hood. Both of them stared in familiar shock and fear at him. It was obvious they had recognized the haunted, dark look on his face. "Anything?" he asked.

The Red Hood shook his head. "No, it's like he's just vanished."

"Nightwing," Batgirl said. "We need to contact Batman."

"No," he said causing them to stare at him in shock as he shook his head. "Not until we know anything for sure. The trial is too important."

"But this is T-Robin, we're talking about!" Red Hood exclaimed. "He'd want to be warned."

"Exactly, and he'd come straight here without a single thought to the adverse effects it could have on the trial," he replied, struggling to maintain this logical side of himself. It was slowly slipping away with the thought of Tim in danger.

At that moment Alfred's voice came over the com. "Sir, I'm afraid Mr. Gordon just contacted the cave. It seems the Joker and Harley escaped the cops after you caught them at the circus yesterday."

Everything became hazy as he was filled with horror and anger. No, this couldn't be happening. Joker couldn't be that sadistic. Except, his second brother staring back at him with the same mixture of emotions in his eyes reminded him that yes, he was. There was nothing that psychotic clown wouldn't do. If he had Tim, they didn't have much time left. He wondered how Batman had been able to resist doing more than just breaking half the bones in the Joker's body after Jason's death. He knew that every part of him was screaming to hunt down the clown and give him a slow, painful, tortuous death. He could tell the same thoughts were going through Jason's head.

"This has gone too far," he said.

_** A.N.: **_Yes, this is probably one of my most evil cliffhangers yet. For those of you who recognize the idea of the Joker kidnapping Tim kudos to you. I won't tell you what's going to happen but remember we still have Depths to go. I hope you liked the big revelation about Red X being real Dick. Don't think it's over yet. Everything that's about to happen will have a drastic effect on the future. Poor guys. Don't worry if you were wondering about Dick's lack of angst in this chapter. It will come big time and it will take a miracle (or revelation) to pull him out of it.


	13. Chapter 13

A.N.: I found the perfect song for Nightwing yesterday. It's _Rubik's Cube _by Athlete.

Sorry this is late, I over slept and as I posted two chapters in one day.

So, I have two ideas. I can't decide whether to make the beginning in Red X's view or go on to the next day. I'll start one and then see how it goes. *After writing* Well, it seems like the next day with clone Dick won. Read the bottom A.N. for more.

_Disclaimer: I do not own._

**March 3, 2016**

What was he going to do? He couldn't imagine their faces when he told them. Tim was missing. He had summoned everyone to the Cave that he could. Now came the hard part. Stepping into the debriefing room with the Red Hood and Batgirl by his side he faced the confused crowd of people gathered around. On an activated screen, the eight absent League members were shown.

"Why have you called this meeting Nightwing?" Batman asked. He watched as his father went from calm to horrified when he finally saw his expression. "What happened?" he asked, his weak voice startling everybody.

"Robin's missing," he replied. "We suspect the Joker or the Light."

The reactions he received were just as he expected.

"What do you know about this?" Wally exclaimed, turning to Bart.

Bart looked down. "Nothing I can tell you," he replied. "I'm sorry."

Nightwing watched as Artemis stopped Wally from talking his cousin. As much as it hurt, he understood that the young time-traveler couldn't say anything. The kid was dealing with enough already. He didn't need this thrown in.

"Why aren't we out there searching for him then?" Lagoon Boy asked.

There were murmurs of agreement, the loudest coming surprisingly from Superboy. "I hate to agree with him, but he has a point."

"The Light would pick up that something was wrong in an instant," he replied. "We can't show any weakness. That would only put Robin in more danger. This is the same reason none of you eight at the trial can come here now."

"They're probably going to experiment on him like the others, possibly even torture him!" Lagoon Boy exclaimed. "And you're suggesting we leave him."

"No, I'm not," he said, trying to keep his cool. "There's a lot you don't know. But trust me when I say there are people who will make sure he's as safe as possible."

"So your plan is going well, I presume," Batman said.

"Yes," he answered. "Renegade recently made an appearance. He met someone very interesting." He turned and made two more screens appear. Each of them showed data on a person. One was Robin and the other…

"Who's he?" Wonder Girl asked.

"His name is Red X," he said. "He is a thief and assassin for the Light that has been stealing tech from Wayne Enterprises."

"Are we supposed to capture him?" Blue Beetle asked.

"Negative," he said. "He is not to be faced. Report any sightings to me."

"So, we're just going to sit back and twiddle our thumbs while the Light has Robin," Lagoon Boy said.

"We do not known for sure," he said. "He could have been taken by the Joker." He crossed his arms and stared seriously at the Team. "You are not to go out searching for him or do anything rash. Leave this to us." He turned to Red Tornado, Black Canary and Captain Marvel who nodded. "Meanwhile, if I or one of the senior team members are not here Red Tornado, Black Canary and Captain Marvel will keep watch over you."

"You're giving us a babysitter!" Lagoon Boy exclaimed.

"More like, den mothers," he replied, his mouth twitching slightly as he remembered the original Team's reaction to their guardians.

"Robin's our friend!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "Why can't we help?"

M'gann rested a hand on his shoulder. "Because we'd only cause more harm. Trust Nightwing to bring him home safely."

"Nightwing, can I talk to you?" Jim asked after everything had settled as much as it could.

"Sure," he replied. Luckily, the only people left in the room were Red Hood, Batgirl, Wally, Artemis, Red Arrow, Jade, Zatanna, Rocket, Miss Martian and Superboy along with the screen of the eight League members.

"I know you're trying to protect everyone," Jim said. "But we both know that Robin is in far more danger than you let on. Even if you do have someone on the inside that can protect him you know what's probably happening to him right as we speak. Do you really think your plan is going to help you find him before the worst? I hate to say it but I hope the Joker has him."

"Trust me, you don't," the Red Hood said darkly. "The Joker is sadistic and cruel. He would torture Robin until he became insane. The Light needs Robin alive and sane."

"What about Red X?" Wally asked. "You're not telling us something about him."

"I was waiting until it was just us," Nightwing replied.

"Who is he?" Zatanna asked.

"Me," he replied. "The original me," he added at their faces. "The Light is using him. They recaptured him after he escaped five years ago."

There was no lack of shock from the others. "He's how I'm pretty sure the Light has Robin."

**Flashback:**

_They had searched everywhere for any sign of the Joker, Harley or Robin. Nightwing was frustrated and angry. Hopping onto the roof of another building, he cursed._

_ "I hope you don't always curse like that," a familiar voice said. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude?"_

_ Nightwing turned and resisted the urge to glare at the young teen standing across from him. The part of him that would have rejoiced at the sight of his younger self was too focused on finding Robin._

_ "As much as I'm glad to see you're okay I'm busy at the moment," he replied. _

_ "Lost something?" Red X asked. "A little Bird perhaps."_

_ Nightwings calm demeanor broke at that. "Where is he?" he asked. _

_ "Can't tell. But he'll be safe for a while," Red X said. "You can check on him later if you like. My bosses are very interested in meeting Renegade." At his startled reaction, Red X chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't tell them." He tossed something at him. Nightwing caught it and stared at a thumb drive now in his hand. "Guess the same minds think alike," Red X said. He gave a dry laugh. "It's ironic how we're finally becoming the assassins we were supposed to be, even if it is only a ruse." He walked to the edge of the building, giving him a knowing glance. "Bye, hope you find what you're looking for." With that Red X disappeared._

_ He just stared in shock at what had just happened. His original self was doing the same thing he did which meant he had been giving the information to someone. The only person he could think of was Batman. Great, another secret his father had kept from him. When Bruce got back, they were going to have a very long talk. Finally, shaking his head he put the thumb drive in his utility belt and focused on what he was going to do next. Part of him was relieved that Tim was with the Light and not the Joker. It would be a lot easier to protect him in there than racing all over the city looking for the Joker who would be torturing him. It looked like Renegade would be making another appearance soon. _

_ Activating his wrist-computer, he slipped into an abandoned warehouse belonging to Wayne Enterprises. A few seconds later, he watched as a familiar face appeared on it. _

_ "Friend," Kaldur said. "Wally told me about your plan."_

_ "That's not important right now," he said. "I need your help. I think the Light may have Robin and my original self. I need you to do whatever you can to protect them until I can. I'll tell you more the next time we meet."_

_ "I will do my best," Kaldur said. _

_ Nightwing nodded. "Thank you," he said. "Renegade out."_

**End Flashback**

Finally, he was alone. It had taken a lot to get the others to get off his case. They were determined not to see him become like he had before. Only a few of them knew that there was a lot more to worry about than just that.

He stared at the data on his wrist-computer screen. His head was pounding as familiar knowledge and memories teased at his mind. The more he read the more the desire to discover it for himself grew. The closer he got the easier it would be to bring them down and rescue his brothers. Yet, it was more than that. He found himself longing for the thrill of danger and revenge on the Light. He could feel himself falling down a path that would cause so much heartache and destruction. But, wasn't it worth it, even if he did lose himself, if he saved the universe? He was scared of the answer. The logical part of himself told him this would end in nothing but disaster. He prayed it was wrong.

**A.N.: Okay, how did you like this? Did I do a good job with everyone's reactions or was it too OOC. So, I tricked you with the Joker thing. Kudos to those who realized it was from Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. It's not over yet though. I was writing this and remembered. Lagoon Boy's kidnapping. It's different though and don't think you know how this story is going just yet. **

** So, did you like what I did with Red X/ Original Dick? For those of you who want to know more you're going to like the next couple of chapters. There's going to be a lot of sibling squabbling and brotherly love. Somebody's got to knock some sense into Dick again. The awkwardness is definitely going to be huge and Dick will find himself a mentor to, well, himself. A fight with a certain one-eyed masked villain will get Dick over his head and it will be up to his younger self to help him. **

** Please Review. **


	14. Chapter 14

A.N.: When I chose this story I never thought it'd become this big. Now I'm finding myself ensnared by its power. I can't give this up. Searching for a Bird has left the small world of Young Justice and is now exploring it's counterparts as well. I find that I have so many inspirations for this. Question: Would you like to see the show read this? I'm not sure but I just find myself wondering how they would react.

Now that I'm through with that I will begin Ch. 14. This chapter will be in Red X's POV.

6-19: Okay, this chapter probably won't be done until tomorrow. Sorry. Right now the water at my house is off so I really can't concentrate on this.

I'm going to hint at who the Partner/Competitor is but I won't say for certain. I want to make it cannon. However, a certain assassin does make an appearance. I thought it fitting considering in most cannon he is the one who spurs Robin/Dick to become Renegade/Red X.

Also, I think I'm going to do a couple short fics focusing on pairings such as Supermartian, Spitfire and RedCat (Roy/Jade).

Disclaimer: I do not own.

Ch. 14

**March 3, 2016. **

** Red X's POV**

His mother had always told him "never forget who you are." Staring at his reflection in the mirror he knew he had failed at that. The boy staring back at him wasn't Dick Grayson. He had lived a totally different life. Still, underneath the façade he could see traces of the boy he had once been. Running a hand through his cropped raven hair, he sighed. Things had been so simple once. Then the Light had kidnapped him and replaced him with a clone. For four years he had been in suspended animation inside his pod. It was only thanks to Guardian and Dubillex that he had awoken and escaped. Now, five years later, he was back inside, all because of his promise to Match. No matter how hard he tried though, it seemed he was no closer to finding Match.

He forced himself to remember what had led him to become Red X.

**Flashback: 1-2 years ago. First part is from chapter 2.**

_He was running. They had found him and killed his foster parents. The couple had been kind enough to take him in when he showed up on their doorstep one day, only ten. Years had passed and he had made sure he looked nothing like Dick Grayson. Still they had found him. Another family broken because of him. He held back the tears and kept running. He had to move forward and there was only one place he knew he was safe._

_A blast of energy suddenly hit him from behind causing him to fall to the ground. He trembled, turning and staring in horror as several familiar figures walked towards him. _

"_We've got you now," Sportmaster said._

_Dick stared angrily at the group now surrounding him. He tried desperately to push himself up but an invisible force was preventing him. Judging by the cackle coming from Klarion it was him. _

"_So, this is one of the boys that has caused you so much trouble," an unfamiliar voice said. _

_ He looked up and found himself staring at a man with an orange and black mask. His right eye was bright red. _

_ He felt the invisible force keeping him on the ground vanish and pushed himself up. "Who are you?" he asked. _

_ "I go by Slade, or Deathstroke the Terminator," the man replied. He could sense the grin that Slade was hiding behind his mask as he rested a hand on his shoulder. He resisted the urge to react. He couldn't show any weakness. "But you can call me Master."_

_ He couldn't suppress a scoff at that. "I don't call anyone Master let alone someone like you," he said. _

"_Well then," Slade replied. "It looks like you'll need to be taught a lesson in obedience."_

_Time Skip: _

"_Good Work, you stole the suit," Slade said. "But that was only your first test." _

_He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course it was. "What is my next mission Master?" he asked. Inwardly he gagged in disgust at calling Deathstroke that. Though the assassin was only a pawn like him in the Light's plans, he was ruthless and took very little disrespect. _

"_Nothing yet. Continue with your training," Slade said. "I trust your main mission is going well."_

_He nodded. "Yes Master, they remain unaware of the truth," he said. He pushed back a mischievous grin. The Light had no idea that they were the ones being played. They thought they had him completely under their control but they were wrong. _

"_Good," Slade said. "Make sure it remains that way, Red X." With that Slade left._

_He looked down at the costume he was now wearing. Slade was right. He was no longer Robin, at least for the moment. Right now, he was Red X. _

**End Flashback**

"About time you got here," he said a while later. His brother stood across from him on the roof of an abandoned warehouse. Renegade gave him an exasperated look. "They're waiting for you."

"How is he?" Renegade asked.

"Fine," he answered. "I saw him before I came here."

Renegade nodded. "Lead the way."

He led Renegade towards the ruins of Old Gotham. Slipping into another warehouse, he felt Renegade tense at the sight of Slade and Savage as well as several other members of the Light including Kaldur who seemed unaffected by seeing him.

"So you're Renegade," Slade said. "I admit I was very interested when I heard about you from my apprentice. It's not often you find somebody as gifted as he is."

"Indeed, I suppose it isn't," Renegade replied.

"Of course, before you can become a member of the Light you still have to prove yourself," Slade said. "I admit it will be much easier to train Red X with someone closer to his age helping out. So, why don't you show me if you're worthy to mentor my apprentice?"

He shuddered, horrified. 'Don't do it,' he pleaded over and over in his mind. He noticed Renegade give him a curious look that was replaced with a familiar grin aimed at Slade. "Gladly."

With that, Renegade disappeared into the shadows of the warehouse. Slade's red eye moved, seeing through the darkness and tracking him. "That won't work," the assassin said. "I can see you."

"Well then," Renegade's voice came from the rafters. "Let's change that." With that, he suddenly jumped down and landed behind Slade. He immediately had the elder assassin in a hold, a knife against his throat.

Red X stared in shock at the sight of his brother holding a knife against his mentor. He could see that everyone else was the same. It was obvious by the surprise on Slade's face that Renegade had gotten the drop on him.

Suddenly Slade began chuckling. "Amazing, I've never seen such a natural since Red X. Looks like I have some competition."

"That was nothing. I simply found one of your weaknesses and exploited it," Renegade replied, letting go of Slade and sheathing his knife.

"Indeed," Savage said, walking up to Renegade. "Understanding your opponent and knowing what will make them falter is critical. You have proved yourself for now. Welcome to the Light."

He watched this with dread. His brother was in danger. He was the key sitting tauntingly by the lock, waiting to be used. His abilities would help them achieve their goals. If the Light figured out it was him, the universe was doomed.

A while later he was relieved when it was just him and Renegade left. The rest of the Light had gone off to do missions or rest. They were now sitting alone on the same rooftop they had met on earlier.

"You shouldn't do this Dick," he said.

His brother stared at him in shock, startled by being called that by him. "What do you mean?"

"You don't know how much danger you're in," he said. "You being here is putting the universe at even greater risk. If they find out you're Renegade we lose for sure."

"I'll be fine Kid," Renegade responded. "They won't find out. They don't have a mole on Team anymore."

He shook his head. "That's where you're wrong," he said. "The Kroloteans aren't the only aliens the Light is working with. They've infiltrated the Team and the person doesn't even know it."

"Who did they…" Renegade asked in shock. It was obvious he was remembering when he had realized he was the mole and a clone.

"No one," he said. "They bugged them."

It was obvious that his brother got the hint when his eyes went wide. "Not him," he said.

"He has no clue," he said. "It's using him."

"The Apollaxian attack," he heard Renegade mutter under his breath. His brother's eyes widened even more. "Apokoliptan tech." He watched in amusement as his brother continued to mutter under his breath, making connections that were lost to most people.

"So, I'll leave you to your musings for now," he said. "I'll make sure Tim is safe. You go handle the problems at the cave." He mentally cursed himself, hoping Dick had been too focused on learning the truth to notice his slip-up.

Disappearing into the night he wondered whether he would ever be able to tell him the truth. His hand went to the glamour charm he knew was hanging around his neck. "You've really outdone yourself this time Tim," he muttered. "How are you going to get yourself out of this one?"

**A.N.: Didn't see that coming, did you? I admit I wasn't actually planning to reveal it until I got to that last paragraph. I always knew it would be him. So Cool, Dextra2 and anyone else who guessed it, you were right. Now we just have to reveal it to Dick. I will be changing the main characters so that it is Tim and Dick. Hope that's okay with you Fighter1357. **


	15. Chapter 15

A.N.: So, I'm surprised by the lack of reviews I got for the last chapter. Well, I have other things to focus on like trying to figure out what happens next. This part of my story leading up to Depths is going to be hard to write. This could go so many ways. There are a lot of things I need to add before Depths.

So, how did you like the revelation last chapter? I was actually going to hold it off for a while but when I got to the end of the chapter I just couldn't help myself. Hopefully it eased your worries about Tim. There's still a lot that remains a mystery about Dick and Tim's pasts. I feel like I might have to do a separate story or two just for that.

This chapter will probably be entirely a flashback in Tim's POV of when he returned to Wayne Mansion and the reasons behind it.

Disclaimer: I do not own.

Chapter 15

**Tim's POV**

** 1-2 years earlier**

Tim stared at the familiar mansion looming before him. After eight years he was finally returning. The Light wanted him to act as a mole like his clone had. The idea sickened him. If he was going to be a mole it would not be for them but for Bruce. The only problem was that he couldn't find the strength to press the gate's intercom. He was terrified.

'You need to do this Tim,' he told himself. 'It's for the universe.'

Pushing back the fear, he pressed the intercom. "Hello, this is Tim Drake," he said. "I need to talk Bruce Wayne. Tell him the Robin always returns to the Bat."

That got Alfred's attention. The gates swung open and Tim walked up to the door just as Bruce opened the door. Tim shuddered at the expression on his once adoptive father's face. He had expected this. Bruce always acted like this when someone knew his secret without him knowing. It was hard though to see it aimed at him. The glare softened slightly when he saw him but Tim didn't relax.

"Come in," Bruce said.

Tim nodded and followed Bruce inside. Looking around he took in the familiar surroundings of the place he had once called home. Pictures on the walls of who could only be his clone and the second Robin Jason made him wince slightly. They were proof that life had moved on without him. His eyes went to the one of his clone. In it he was about 15, in a graduation uniform. His clone, no, Dick, was a genius like him.

"Who are you?" His father's question brought his attention back to the situation at hand. Turning he grinned at the man who had taken him in.

"Tim Drake," he said. "I'm not a threat so you can relax. I came to help you. You need a Robin. I'm just the one for the job."

"I don't need another Robin," Bruce replied sharply. Tim shuddered at the glare aimed at him. "How do you know my secret anyways?"

His grin returned and he grasped the glamour charm around his neck. "Dad, I'm hurt that you don't recognized me. Where's the aster?" He chuckled at Bruce's shocked face.

"Dick?" his father asked.

"The original," he said, pulling the charm off, revealing his true self. "Though I go by Tim now."

"But, how?" Bruce asked. Tim watched his father's shock and happiness war with his wariness.

"It's a long story," he replied. "I would gladly tell you it over a plate of Alfred's cookies." He turned to the shocked butler that had been watching nearby. "If you want to make them that is."

Alfred frowned, shaking off his shock. "Of course, but I believe a good meal is in order first," he said. With that, he left the room leaving Tim and Bruce alone.

Tim sat in one of the parlor's couches and relaxed. He looked at the picture of his clone once more. "I heard he's in Blüdhaven going by Nightwing now," he said. "How often does he return here?"

"Not very often," Bruce replied. "Though he'll probably return soon when he hears of Jason's death." There was a curious look in his father's eyes as he watched Tim's reaction. Tim knew what he was secretly asking.

"He can't know, not yet," he said. "There's too much at stake." He found himself confessing everything, telling Bruce all that had happened. By the time it was over he was doing his best not to cry. He was staring at the floor, afraid to know what his father thought.

A hand resting comfortingly on his shoulder startled him. "You did good Di-Tim," he heard Bruce say. "I'm glad you're here now." He looked up and took in his father's kind face.

"What am I going to do now?" he asked. "I don't want to go back there."

"I know," Bruce said, "but if you want to take down the Light we'll need all the intel you can get."

"I have to make them believe I'm spying on you like they want me to," he said sadly.

"Yes, but that means you get to stay here, your home, and be Robin again, even if you're pretending to be someone else," his father said.

Tim looked up at him in shock. "Really," he said.

Bruce nodded. "Really."

**Time Skip: a few days later. **

He knew immediately when his clone had arrived. It was like a cord was binding them together. He guessed it was a side effect of the experimenting that Cadmus and the Light had done on both of them, which included telepathy. He resisted the urge to rush out of his room and greet his brother. There would be time for that tomorrow.

That night he dreamed of when the Light had captured him after his escape five years before. He resisted the urge to scream as he gasped, finally awaking. He could sense his clone doing the same.

Pushing back the residual traces of fear and sadness he let himself become excited at the thought of finally meeting his clone. His brother wouldn't know it was him but still he hoped that they could become close like they should have been if they had been born brothers. That wasn't possible though. Their parents had died when they were eight.

Shaking his head, he scolded himself for letting his defenses fall. Stretching he finally got up and started to get ready for the day.

"Good Morning Dad, Alfred," he greeted as he entered the dining room a while later. His clone was still in his room, which meant he had a little bit to plan.

"Good Morning Master Timothy, Breakfast is almost ready."

"Thanks Alfred," he said, sitting down at the table.

"So, today should be interesting," Bruce said. "I assume you know that Dick arrived here late last night?"

He nodded. "Yeah," he said. His hand went briefly to his glamour charm.

A few minutes later he looked up as he sensed his brother enter the dining room. He watched his brother freeze as he noticed him. For a second he became serious as their eyes met, reminding himself of the effects this could have if it failed. A second later, he allowed his excitement to replace it.

"Hey, you're Dick right?" he asked, already knowing the answer. "I'm Tim Drake, the new Robin. Nice to meet you."

He could feel very little jealousy coming from Dick. Instead, he could sense worry and sadness as his hand went to his pocket where Tim guessed one of his notes that Dick had found was.

"Nice to meet you Tim," Dick said. "Welcome to the family."

He turned to Bruce as he sat down. "No offense but I didn't think you would take anyone else in after Jason, let alone so soon."

"I didn't give him much of a choice," Tim said. "I figured out you secret identities a long time ago after seeing one of your quadruple flips, the same move you used at the circus. It was easy to figure out the rest. When I heard about Jason I knew he needed somebody to help him so I rushed over here."

"What about your parents? Dick asked. "I doubt they'd be thrilled to learn what you're doing."

Tim looked down, "They were killed a few months ago," he said, images of Mr. and Mrs. Drake's bodies lying on the floor of their home flashed through his mind.

"Oh, sorry," Dick said. "I know what it's like."

Tim shook his head. "They weren't my real parents but they took me in when they didn't have to." He sighed. "They were great people."

"They usually are," Dick said, nodding understandingly.

"Breakfast is ready," Alfred said, distracting them. The butler entered carrying a dish of food. Soon the table was full of food.

"Thank you Alfred," he said simultaneously with Bruce and Dick.

All previous grief was forgotten as they ate.

**A.N.: Hope you liked this. I know it's different from the usual plot. The next chapter will go back to the present but will have a flashback that follows this one. This chapter will be important in the future and helps explain things. For Dick's memory of part of this chapter, see the Ch. 2 flashback. We'll get to see Dick's reaction to the last chapter as well as him being a mentor to Tim in both the past and present. More brotherly bonding will ensue. You'll probably get both their thoughts next chapter so hope you enjoy.**

**PS. Dextra2-Lol. Don't get cocky even though you're right...this time as well. I wasn't trying to make it too subtle though. I had been looking for facts about the Partner and found that one of the Kroloteans recognized either Blue Beetle or Bee as one of his soldiers. I had read theories about who the Partner was so I simply used most of them in that chapter. The Light is a group of evil villains after all. It's perfectly logical for all of them to be there.**

**I always thought the Scarab itself was bad, especially after watching Salvage and Beneath. I wondered whether the Scarab made Jaime use the sonic cannon on the Apollaxian on purpose. It had to have known it would reflect it. It also seemed determined to destroy anything that got in their way and was extremely reactive when the old guy seemed to know about it. I also didn't believe the history Jaime gave. I remember the Scarab always being from outer space. So, in this story it really is. **

** Who I think the Partner is, well, look again at what Dick mutters after he has the revelation about the unseen (for this fic) part of Salvage. Superboy told him everything about what happened and there's no doubt he could figure out a way to get video from Sphere. The authors gave us some pretty big hints when they mentioned Apokolyps in Season 1 and in Salvage (where the Partner actually appears). I don't know if they're going to follow through with it. It's just a guess. **

**So, here's your long reply.**

**Please Review. I would like to know your thoughts. **


	16. Chapter 16

_A.N: So, here's the next chapter. I think I might start holding back chapters until I get more reviews. It would give me more time working on this and updating my other active story. Well, we'll see. _

_From now on unless in Dick's POV, Original Dick will be referred to as Tim or Red X. In Dick's POV Tim and original Dick will still be mostly seen as two separate people (for a while). Just letting you know. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own._

Ch. 16

**March 4, 2016**

** Dick's POV**

What was he going to do? He couldn't confront Jaime and warn him about the Scarab. Chances were the parasite would just make Jaime attack him. He winced in sympathy. He understood how it felt to unknowingly be a threat to the Team. He had to find some way to help him.

"Is something wrong?" a voice asked. Dick looked at the Kryptonian clone standing in front of him. He raised an eyebrow at Conner. His friend knew things were definitely not okay. "Besides the obvious I mean," Conner amended.

"We've been infiltrated again," he said. He watched Conner's eyes go wide in shock.

"Who, La'gaan?" Though Conner was obviously worried about the mole there was an obvious hopefulness that it was M'gann's Atlantian boyfriend. The two had never gotten along since they first met. Even though Conner had broken up with Megan for very good reasons it was obvious he still loved her. It didn't help that La'gaan was continiually flaunting it infront of him and that he always supported Megan's misuse of her powers.

"No, it's Blue Beetle," he said.

Conner looked confused. "Jaime, but there's no way he's a mole, unless…" his eyes widened as he had the same realizations Dick had had earlier. "The Scarab!"

Dick nodded. "It wasn't created by Ted Kord. He only found it. From what I've analyzed since I figured this out I've discovered that it's actually from outer space, from an unfamiliar planet. Form what I can tell it's not the first of its kind and it took a lot of work to create it. This is a lot more than the Light. My guess, another alien race bent on invading the Earth that is working with them. "

Conner groaned. "Great, just what we need. First the Kroloteans now this. What's next?"

"Apokolips," he replied.

Conner threw out his hands. "Forget I asked."

"From what I can tell they're doing more than just supplying Intergang with weapons," he said. "My guess is they're working directly with the Light somehow, probably through the Partner. It makes sense considering it's the planet of anti-life, degradation and slavery."

Conner sighed. "Looks like I'll need to get in contact with the Forever People and New Genesis," he said. "They're going to want to know about this." At the sound of the name of its previous owners, Sphere came rolling into the room, followed by Wolf.

"Looks like Sphere thinks she can help," Dick said. "Which is good, we need all the help we can get. We can't do anything about the Scarab yet but we might be able to work on the Apokoliptan problem. If we can't stop the expirements we can at least stop the tech they're sending."

He frowned, looking over at Wolf. It was a small sort of revelation, almost useless compared to what they already knew, but it was another piece to the puzzle. The Light had for some reason back tracked to experimenting on animals instead of humans for a while. The reason for this came to him and he struggled to hold back his anger. They had settled for that because they already had a human guinea pig they could work with all they wanted.

"Umm, Nightwing," Conner said. "I don't think Wolf likes you staring at him like that." Dick shook his head and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry Wolf," he apologized. "I wasn't glaring at you."

Wolf tipped its head and looked at Dick knowingly. He could swear he heard an amused animalistic chuckle in his head that definitely wasn't coming from him.

_'Go on,' _he thought, somehow knowing it was Wolf. _'Laugh it up. Don't expect a treat the next time you beg me for one.'_

At that Wolf's amused chuckled turned into a whine. His big blue eyes stared up at him pleadingly. He could see Conner watching them quizzically beside Sphere.

Dick's response was cut off by a different laugh inside his mind, this one human and extremely familiar.

'_Arguing with a wolf, priceless,' _his younger self said. Realizing Dick had heard him the laughter stopped. _'Oops, got to go.' _With that his double's presence disappeared, or at least seemed to. Sighing he shook his head and ran a hand through his raven hair.

"Great, just what I needed right now, the sudden reappearance of my telepathy," he muttered, unfortunately not quiet enough to hide from Conner's hearing.

"What do you mean your telepathy?" Conner asked. There was an obvious unease as he remembered Psimon, the genomorphs and M'gann. He had good reason to dislike telepathy after everything.

"Part of what Cadmus did after creating me," he said. "It's not part of my programming but from experiments. I was the first human test subject they used to try to control the Meta-gene. I've been starting to remember." He frowned. "I heard Wolf and I think my younger self in my head. I think they did the same things to them, or at least partly."

"Alright," Conner said. "This is certainly going to be interesting. I would suggest going to M'gann for help with it but you know how I think about her misuse of her powers."

He nodded. "I know. It's not that strong right now though. It's more focused on empathy and has really only worked with those who have telepathic powers which means M'gann's probably going to sense it. I don't know if it's going to get stronger though."

Conner frowned in concentration. "Well, maybe you can try to gradually strengthen it. You can work on it with Wolf." He turned to Wolf. "You want to help Boy?" he asked.

Dick didn't need Wolf's answering yip to sense the affirmative reply. He hid a shudder at the mischievous eagerness he could feel coming from the wolf. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like what he had planned.

Yep, definitely didn't like it. He rubbed his temples, fighting the headache he was getting. Wolf had decided the best way to test his abilities was to howl continuously telepathically. If anything, Dick thought it was doing exactly the opposite. Being able to control when he used it was good. He just didn't like the way Wolf was trying to teach him. It didn't help that he could hear his younger self's continuous laughing at him as well.

_'Don't you have something better to do?' _he thought.

_'Well, considering Slade's busy and my mentor is currently being mentally harassed by a giant mutant wolf, nope," _came the reply.

Dick groaned. Had he been this annoying when he was that age? A mental affirmative from Wolf made him glare at his fellow experiment. "Nobody asked for your opinion," he muttered.

**"Recognized: Miss Martian: B05, Lagoon Boy: B18/21(?), Beast Boy: B19, Blue Beetle: B22," **the computer alerted.

Dick and Conner tensed, sharing a worried glance. Of course with their luck two of the people they were most desperate to escape at the moment would come back at the same time. They watched as their four teammates entered the room. Dick looked worriedly at Conner when he noticed the usual public affection M'gann and La'gaan were showing. Focusing on the matter at hand, he was able to keep his telepathy in check.

"Hey guys," he greeted, activating a holoscreen. This would allow him to observe what was going on while protecting him from most unwanted distractions.

"Anything on Robin?" M'gann asked.

"Not much yet," he replied. "He is safe though. I've confirmed that." He hated lying but he couldn't let them interfere.

"No, of course not," Jaime muttered causing everyone to stare at him except for Dick and Conner who shared another worried glance as they watched Jaime argue with the Scarab. This was definitely not good.

_'This is a disaster,'_ he thought.

_'Way heavy on the dis,'_ his younger self added.

**A.N.: So, sorry about the lack of mentor Dick and Tim bonding. This chapter simply didn't have room for that. It will come in the next chapter soon. **

**Question, do you want me to rewrite the previous episodes I missed (that apply and have him prominently in them) in another fic? This would mostly be his thoughts during Happy New Year and Alienated as well as ones such as Independence Day and Fireworks, Usual Suspects, Old Acquaintances, maybe even Agendas. I want to show them but I don't know how some of them will fit in this fic. I'll probably write them up and then add them as a side story or series of flashbacks in this one like I did with Tim's return to Wayne Mansion. I might even write some other spin-offs centering around Tim's adventures as well as one centering around Dick's time in Bl****ü****dhaven (I might add the episodes and how he became Nightwing as well, same with Tim). It just depends on how this comes together and if there is room for a lot more flashbacks. I can see those becoming their own stories. I've got so many great ideas and writing them might help me get a better grasp on where this is going. I am definitely looking forward to it. We'll I'll write out a few things and see how it goes. Give me your thoughts about this idea.**

**Also, I've become obsessed with the Avengers after finally getting to see the movie for the first time on Father's Day. I love Loki. I might throw in a few references or quotes. **

**Please review. **


	17. Chapter 17

_6/22- A.N.: Hey. So, if this chapter is not up today I'm sorry. I slept in again. I won't be updating tomorrow so it will be Sunday before you get an update. I will not be signing on as I will be participating in the Blackout (hopefully). The good news is that means I will be able to work more on this story as well as my Reading the Percy Jackson books story and the side stories for both that I have decided to finally do. So if it's 6/24 and you just got this chapter there might be more following right after it. It also gives you time to review. If it's past Sunday and I still haven't updated then that means I'm working on my stories and am holding the chapters back until I get more reviews, don't know how many yet. Reviews telling me to update don't count just so you know. _

_ Not entirely sure what's going to happen in this chapter. I might do mentor Dick or not depending on how it goes. Right now, I'm simply feeling where this story takes me. _

_Later 6-22: Okay, so this chapter isn't going to be posted today. Good news though, I've started a chapter of the first of the side-stories that takes place right after Ch.1 a.k.a Auld Aquaintances. It will mostly be a prequel to this story and contain flashbacks like this one. It focuses on Dick. I'll start on Tim's soon too. It might start with Dick(Tim) being taken and continue with the Ch. 10 flashback and continue it. Either that or it will start with Tim's view of Searching for a Bird. It will include the other flashbacks I include in his view in this fic. _

_6-23: Blackout Day. I've seen posts from several authors who probably don't know about it. Basically I'll sum it up in one word: torture. I spend every day on FF and it took a lot of strength to keep myself from opening it up. It's worth it though to support those stories that FF is trying to remove. _

_ Disclaimer: I do not own._

Ch. 17

**March 5, 2016 (A little less than 13 more days till the Depth saga)**

**Dick's POV**

"Good, but aim a little higher and try to protect your left side. You're leaving it open*," Renegade said. Red X nodded and continued to attack his foe, him. They were sparing in the old abandoned factory they had often met at. He couldn't help but fall back into a familiar routine when sparring with him, one he had formed as someone else's mentor. They fought so alike. He frowned, remembering.

**Flashback: post chapter 15 **

_"You can't be serious," he said, staring at Bruce in shock. Of course, the first time he truly returns to the mansion in years because of the death of his brother he discovers he has a new one. He should have expected this. "You want me to mentor Tim." _

_ "You're the best person for the job," Bruce replied. _

_ Dick's shock turned into confusion. "What about you?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be the one training him?" Bruce took the training of his partners seriously, because that's what Robin was, not a sidekick but a partner. They fought together and so their moves had to be totally in synch and they had to know each other's every thought. Sure Bruce would hand over training to others when he wanted Robin to learn something that said person was better at, but in the end, he was the one who taught them everything they needed to know. _

_ "I will still teach him, but you are better suited to train him," Bruce replied. _

_His eyes widened as realization set in. Frowning, he crossed his arms. "This wouldn't' have anything to do with Jason, would it?" he asked. He remained stoic, forcing himself not to react at his father's obvious flinch at the former Robin's name._

"_No," Bruce said stoically, his invisible emotionless mask back in place. "Tim's a lot like you. He would be better taught by somebody with the same talents." _

_Dick nodded. "Fine," he said. It was a logical explanation. "I'm still not rejoining the Team yet though," he added. At his mentor's knowing look, he bit back a curse. Of course, Bruce would know that he was actually planning to and about the plan he and Kaldur had come up with._

_A while later he found himself sparring with Tim, testing the new Robin. Admittedly, he was extremely good for somebody who was supposed to have no past experience and who had supposedly spent most of his life behind a computer. He could see where Bruce got the impression that Tim was like him from. The kid had the same kind of quirks as he did and his fighting style was like his own mixed form. _

"_Good, but aim a little higher and try to protect your left side. You're leaving it open*," he said. It was, admittedly, a fault they both strangely shared. Tim nodded and continued to attack, this time paying more attention to his left side._

_Finally Dick was able to defeat him with a skillful flip, knocking him to the ground._

"_That was crash!" he heard Tim exclaim. He just grinned, his mind too focused on the bright grin on his brother's face to recognize the word. _

**End Flashback.**

"Hey Renegade, shouldn't you be concentrating on our spar?" Red X asked, shaking him back to the present. As though compelled by the memory, he performed the same flip, knocking Red X to the ground.

"Crash!" his brother exclaimed. He shuddered, the similarity of the two sessions hitting him.

"That's enough for today," he said, sitting down.

Red X nodded. "Alright."

Running a hand through his raven hair, he stared at his brother. _"How's Tim?" he asked mentally._

"_As good as can be right now," Red X replied. "They haven't done anything to him yet. I think they're waiting for you to storm the place looking for him." He scoffed at that. "Sometimes I wonder how they even got as powerful as they have."_

"_It's because while most of the Light is weak and not particularly smart, the true masterminds are geniuses," he said. "Take the seven for example."_

"_Noted," Red X said in a tone that reminded him amusingly of when Beast Boy said it. _

_He sighed. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you," he said. "I wish none of this had ever happened."_

_Red X gaped at him. "Don't say that. You don't know how different things would be if they had chosen Roy instead of me. Don't ever think your life is worthless. You're the leader of the Team and a former Justice League member. You're the person who's going to save the world from the Light." _

While he was saying this, Red X had pulled back his hood to reveal messy raven hair similar to his own. Next, the mask had come off, showing just how identical to him his younger self was. It was like looking at a mirror into the past. His younger, 15-year old self, in a suit of his own making, was staring back at him with his bright blue eyes.

"Most importantly," he said aloud. "You're my brother."

Renegade smiled and removed his own mask. Sitting there with his brother at that moment he wasn't Nightwing or Renegade, but Dick Grayson, finally relaxing.

**A.N.: Sorry for this sadly short chapter after the long wait. Hoped you liked it though. I finally told you how Tim looks without his glamour charm so yeah! The last part will have huge effects on what will come; probably taking this in a direction I wasn't anticipating. Don't worry, it's still good and you will love it. **

** I worked more on Depths than this. Good thing though is that I've figured out what I'm going to do. Let's just say see the last paragraph and reread the last part of the chapter and try to figure it out for yourself. It might not be obvious though at first (it will be when you learn about it). It's more the lack of something that's mentioned. (Not the glamour charm). Don't worry, it will all make sense soon. I'll start on the next chapter tomorrow (right after this is posted) and work some more on Depths and the spinoffs. **

** Please Review. **


	18. Chapter 18

_A.N.: So, I have now decided that I'm not really sure how Depths is going to happen. It might happen the way I've planned or it might go a totally different route. It all depends on these chapters leading up to it._

_Disclaimer: I do not own._

Ch. 18

**March 12, 2016**

**Dick's POV**

I know you're Renegade." Nightwing couldn't believe his ears. Turning, he stared at his Superboy who was looking at him expectantly.

This was bad. He had known that somebody would probably figure it out but he hated the look of betrayal on his friend's face. It was the same expression he had worn when he broke up with M'gaan.

He stared at Conner in shock. "You think I'm Renegade," he said.

"It fits," Superboy said, crossing his arms. "You weren't answering while we were fighting him and Red X. That isn't like you. You've been acting strange for over a week now. It is just like you though to pull a stunt like this, especially since they kidnapped Tim. Also, you're favoring your left side."

He winced, rubbing his left leg but felt slightly relieved when he saw Superboy smirk. "Well, that's what happens when a Kryptonian throws you into a wall. Even my armor couldn't protect me from it fully.

"You still leave yourself open on that side," Superboy said. "Excuse me for taking advantage of it."

"Yeah, well, next time I'll be the one doing beating," he retorted.

"Good luck with that," Superboy said, grinning. They both laughed.

"So, you're not mad at me?" he asked.

"No, I know you're just trying to protect your brothers and us," Superboy answered. "Knowing you, you've already had this planned for a long time." He frowned as though realizing something. "Kaldur's actually a mole for you, isn't he? That's how you knew everything before you became Renegade."

He sighed and nodded. "Yes, just don't tell the others. Only Wally, Artemis, Roy and Red X know the truth. Well, Batman too but that's expected."

"I won't," Conner said. "Just don't do anything else stupid without telling me first, Brother."

"Agreed," he said. "No promises though. You know how my luck is."

"How is he?" Conner asked.

He sighed. "Good, still sleeping."

Yet another person knew about his plans. That night, as he sat on his bed and stared at the unconscious form on it he remembered how the Team had first met Red X and Renegade and how things had come to this.

**Flashback: March 11, 2016**

_His first mission with Red X. The thought filled him with an eagerness he knew he shouldn't be feeling. It was wrong to be looking forward to an assassin mission, but he would be working with his brother. _

"_Any sign of the targets?" he asked telepathically. _

"_Negative," Red X responded._

"_Keep watch out for the Team," he said. "Considering who the targets are they're bound to show up." That and the fact that as Nightwing he had alerted them of it earlier. _

"_I know. This means this mission is going to be a complete failure," Red X said. " There's no way we can complete it. Slade will be furious." _

"_I'll make sure it's directed at me," he sai__d. He looked through his binoculars, spotting a familiar flash of red hair followed by raven. __"Two of the targets have been sighted," he announced. "The Arrow and the Cat are on the move. No sign of the infant."_

_That was good. That meant Lian was probably with Oliver and Dinah, which would make things easier. Roy and Jade would be able to take care of themselves without having to worry about their daughter. _

_ Nodding to Red X, he slipped through the shadows after the couple. Suddenly, he found himself thrown into the wall of a nearby building as a familiar figure rushed him._

_ Groaning, he looked up at Superboy who was glaring down at him. Behind him, several of the Team members had surrounded Roy and Jade, both of whom were aiming their weapons at him. _

"_Be careful," Superboy said, glancing just barely at the Team but keeping his eyes focused on Renegade. "There should be another one." _

_At the reminder of Red X, he sat up quickly. Groaning, he flinched and held his left arm. Why had he taught Superboy to recognize an enemy's weakness and exploit it? _

_ "Let him go," a voice growled. He looked up at Red X, who had suddenly dropped in front of him. X stood in a protective stance and suddenly he knew that things were about to go really wrong._

_ "No, X," he said, watching in horror as his brother took on the Team. "Don't."_

_ "Go Renegade," Red X said, looking back at him. "I'll handle them." _

_ He knew what was going to happen. Red X had decided that he would sacrifice himself to keep his secret from coming out and endangering his plan. Still that meant Renegade was in danger as well, which definitely wasn't his biggest concern right now. This was totally unnecessary They could both escape. _

_"Trust me," Red X said telepathically. "Go!"_

_ And he had, as far as his body and mind would allow. His whole mind was focused on his brother, wondering what he was doing. His thoughts were blocked, keeping him from even knowing how his brother was. He wanted to turn back but knew he couldn't. As hurt as he was from Superboy's throw he wouldn't be able to handle the Team. Finally, he found the nearest Zeta Tube. There was only one way to know now at it wasn't as Renegade. _

_ "Nightwing, where have you been?"_

_ "We've got a prisoner!" _

_ "We caught Red X!"_

_ The voices of his teammates greeted him as he entered Mount Justice as Nightwing. _

_ "Where is he?" he asked. _

_ "In one of the cells," M'gaan said. "I haven't interrogated him yet." He held back a sigh of relief. That was good. As much as he trusted Miss M, well, he didn't trust her not to abuse her powers on his brother even if she did know that he was his original self. _

_ He nodded. "I'll interrogate him," he said. He turned to the rest of the team. "That's it for now. You are dismissed."_

_ Once they were gone, he looked over to Superboy. "I'll trust you to debrief me on what happened," he said. _

**End Flashback**

"Why did you do it?" he asked. It was his fault. If he had only gotten to him sooner, before the Light had then none of this would have happened.

"Because you were right Dick," his brother muttered softly, still lying in the same position he had been for the last few hours, his maskless eyes closed, in some of Tim's clothes. "I needed to get out of the Light. More importantly, so did you. I saw what it was doing to you, to both of us. I couldn't let it happen to you like it did to Jason."

"Even if that meant making both of us targets again for the Light and endangering Tim?" He asked angrily.

His brother just smirked slightly, "Don't worry he can take care of himself. He'll be fine. I promise."

He believed him. Somehow Tim would be fine. He would make sure of that. If he couldn't do it as Renegade anymore he would do it as Nightwing, as himself. His brother was right. He had been fooling himself into believing he had let go of his obsession. The truth was it had simply changed from his original self to Tim. He had let it take control of him again and had almost fallen further than ever before. He shuddered to think what would have happened if Red X hadn't sacrificed himself and shown him the truth.

"Get some rest Squirt," he said, resting his hand on his brother's back. He didn't know why but it felt right to use his nickname for Tim. As he left the room he could barely make out his brother muttering something.

"I told you Dick. I promised I would intervene. That's' what brothers are for,"

**A.N.: So, the shocks just keep coming. How is the team going to handle Red X? How is Tim going to keep his identity a secret? Does he even want to? What are they going to do now that they've been compromised?  
**

** This chapter is dedicated to Dextra2. Now they can have all the cookies they want. Lol. You inspired me to go forward with this plan. Thanks for the great discussions. You're always fun to talk to. **

** Please Review.**


	19. Chapter 19

A.N.: I'm keeping this chapter a little longer until I get more reviews on my last one.

Disclaimer: I do not own

Ch. 19

**March 13, 2016**

**Tim's POV**

He was bored. He couldn't even leave Dick's room. He itched to sneak over to his own room but he knew he wouldn't get past Babs, Jason or Dick in his state. He was just glad it was them and not any of the others. Then again, Dick probably wanted to hide his identity (the one he knew anyways) from them.

Sighing he did the only thing he could do at the moment, bother Dick. He closed his eyes, following the bond that tied them together. Images and knowledge flowed into his mind as he saw through Dick's eyes. He was in a warehouse n Blüdhaven with Kaldur, Superboy, Roy, Jason, Jade, Wally and Artemis. It was obviously a meeting concerning what they would do now since Dick had decided to stop being Renegade and he had been "captured."

**Dick's POV**

"So, what's going to happen now?" Roy asked. "Without Renegade and Red X, Kaldur is our only mole in the Light."

He winced at that. He knew what would most likely happen. It was one of the reasons he had wanted to be Renegade in the first place. He hadn't wanted anyone else to sacrifice themselves for him. 'Yeah. What a lot of good that did,' he thought. 'The first time you become Renegade Tim was captured and the last time Red X was hurt.'

_"I made that decision myself Dick," Red X said. _

"We stick with the original plan," Artemis said, crossing her arms. "I'm going in." Wally frowned and started to interrupt.

"I still say I should do it," Jason said, stopping him.

He (as Dick) shook his head. "Too obvious. You've been spending a lot of time with us lately. They're bound to know that." He turned to Wally and Superboy. "The charm doesn't inhibit power so you two can't do it. That leaves only Roy, Jade and Artemis and there's no way I'm taking either Jade or Roy from Lian." He looked at Artemis. "Not that I want you to do it," he said.

Artemis just smirked. "No problem," she said. "I agree. There's no way I'm letting either of them do what I can."

**Tim's POV**

He withdrew, knowing that Artemis had made her decision and that Wally's complaints were the only thing left to listen too. He wasn't that bored. Okay, maybe he was. Why did Dick have to take his computers?

A few minutes later, a commotion outside his room caught his attention. Using his sharpened sense of hearing he was able to make out what was happening.

"Do you know where Nightwing and Conner are?" Megan asked, waking up to Batgirl, the one on guard duty.

"Nope," she replied. "I was wondering myself." She muttered something under her breath that he was pretty sure was an insult to Dick.

"We were just wondering if Nightwing had learned anything from the prisoner yet," he heard Blue Beetle, or rather Jaime, say. Great, so it was more than just those who knew he was the original Robin that were here.

"I'm sure he'll tell us when he has," Batgirl said. He could tell she was shifting nervously, protecting the door to the room. Suddenly, an idea hit him and he grinned widely. Barely stumbling he slipped off the bed and grabbed a pair of sunglasses, slipping them on.

With a mischievous chuckle he went over to the door and opened it. Leaning out slightly, he glanced at Batgirl.

"Hey, Batgirl, could you get me some food, I'm hungry," he said pleadingly.

Stumbling in shock, Batgirl gave the rest of the team a clear view of him. Judging by their shocked faces, they recognized him from pictures and videos they had seen of Nightwing when he was Robin.

"What….Nightwing, what happened?" Wonder Girl asked, gaping.

"I know I call you guys Minnows but I didn't mean this!" Lagoon Boy exclaimed.

"Don't worry Nightwing," Beast Boy said. "We'll find a way to get you back to normal."

Tim resisted the urge to laugh as this unfolded. Batgirl and M'gann were both watching, seemingly unsure how to react to this mistake as Mal, Bee and Jaime joined in.

'They are so not whelmed,' he thought. "Hope Nightwing doesn't come back soon."

**"Recognized: Red Hood A12, Superboy B04, Nightwing B01," **the computer announced.

'Crap, you just had to think that, didn't you?' he thought, warily watching the now confused Team. Without a second thought he ran, sensing the Team following him. He was pretty fast, even with his wounds. Cackling, he raced to the main Control room, only remembering it held the Zeta Tubes as well when he collided with somebody who caught him. Staring at the familiar blue hawk symbol only slightly covered by crossed arms, he paled.

"I thought I told you to stay in my room," Nightwing said.

"But it was so boring in there," he complained, pouting.

"Nightwing!" the chorus of voices made him pale even further. He tried to move and hide protectively behind Jason and Conner, but his eldest brother's grip was too tight.

"Sorry, I had important matters to attend to," Nightwing said. "I see you met Red X again."

The Team except for M'gann and Batgirl stared in shock at him.

"Wait, you're saying that's Red X," Jaime said.

"Um, why does he look like you when you were younger?" Beast Boy asked.

"Forget that," Lagoon Boy said. "Why was he in your room in the first place?"

He felt Dick sigh and felt his brother's grip loosen. He didn't attempt to escape this time though. He knew Dick would need all his support in explaining this.

"Because I told him to," Nightwing answered. "It was safer than anywhere else."

"Why wasn't he in a cell?" Wonder Girl asked. "He's an agent of the Light.

"Ex-agent," he corrected. "I didn't even want to be one in the first place but it wasn't like I had a choice at first. Once I did it was either be a mole and give Batman secret intel on the Light or let the world fall to their plans. Yeah, that would be a disaster, extremely heavy on the dis."

"But why do you look like him?" Beast Boy asked again.

"Actually, he looks like me," he said. "I'm the original Robin."

"I'm his clone," Nightwing said to the confused looks. "I was created by Cadmus 9 years ago by order of the Light and was switched with him. I'm the one responsible for the Light's attack five years ago."

The next few hours were spent by Dick's side, answering any questions or explaining anything that Dick was unable to. By the time it was over his fear of what the Team would think was diminished, being replaced by his worry for his brother. He knew he still had a long way to go to earn the Team's trust. They were still worried about Tim and another Robin wasn't really helping things. He was still unable to tell them the truth, no matter how hard he tried. He was afraid that it would damage any trust they had built in him. He pushed this away, focusing solely on Dick, who's exhaustion was obvious, emotionally, mentally and physically.

"You didn't tell them about Renegade or Kaldur being a mole," he said, sitting beside his brother on his bed.

"Neither did you," Dick replied. "You could have told them. Indeed, Renegade had come up in the discussion. The Team had been worried about Renegade returning to get revenge. The thought of that would have been laughable if it wasn't absolutely possible. If it hadn't been the Team who had captured him Renegade would probably have never left his side. If he had, he would have been after those who took him in a second. He wouldn't give up until he found him and made the captors pay. He glanced at Dick. That was exactly why he had done this. He had seen how both of his disappearances had affected his brother who could easily become obsessive. When it came down to it, the assassin that could have been and had been his possible future lurked in both their hearts, waiting to strike and takae control.

"It wasn't mine to tell," he said. He frowned. "Promise me something Dick."

"What?" his brother asked.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, ignoring the question.

"Of course I do," Dick replied.

He trembled slightly as he stared into his brother's bright blue eyes. He knew what he was about to ask would hurt Dick a lot, but it had to be done. '

"Don't go looking for Tim."

The shock and hurt on his brother's face hit him like one of Slade's energy blasts.

I'll tell him soon,' he vowed. 'He won't have to hurt for long.' He hoped so, but things never happened the way people wanted them to.

**A.N.: Hello, sorry for the delay. I decided to post this anyways. I've been busy watching Yu-gi-oh Zexal. Anyways, this chapter is pretty weird at first but I like how it turned out in the end. I'll probably include more flashbacks of the fight and Tim's thoughts on his decision later but this is how the chapter turned out. **

** I loved Tim being a secret prankster like Dick was. I thought he could use a little fun. So of course I immediately latched on to the idea and used it in this chapter to get him and the Team to properly meet. I didn't even know it at first but the whole Robin deaging thing that the Team thought happened was based off of Hesychia who used it to make her clone Robin become Tim (the opposite of this fic where he is the original Robin) in Seeing Double, an excellent fic I recommend reading. **

**As always REVIEW! I can't stress enough how important your thoughts are to me. **


	20. Chapter 20

_A.N.: So, I'm writing this from my hotel room at a stamping/scrapbooking convention. I was originally going to go straight to Depths but I figured you deserved at least one more chapter (maybe more) before we get to the last few chapters leading to the possible hiatus. Right now I'm typing this while Young Justice is on, the episode Image where we learn about Megan being a White Martian, first meet Garth and Megan first abuses her powers. This episode also contains Robin's first real mission as leader of the Team. So this chapter will be based a lot on this episode as well as Failsafe. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own._

Ch. 20

**March 14, 2016**

"What aren't you telling us?"

Nightwing looked up from his wrist computer screen at Miss Martian. His fellow telepath was staring at him with suspicion.

"Of course not," he replied innocently. "What makes you think that?"

M'gann narrowed her eyes, her hands on her hips. "I've spent enough time mind linked to you that I know when you're trying to block me out."

Eyes darkening he resisted the urge to glare at her as he sensed her intentions if he didn't tell her. "I don't have to tell you everything. I'm allowed to have my own secrets. I've kept everyone else's long enough."

"You're my friend Dick," she said. "But you're also out leader. You haven't been yourself for a long time. I'm worried." That he could tell, but whether it was more over him or the fate of the world, he didn't know.

Suddenly, he felt a familiar presence trying to sneak through his mental defenses and he trembled. He had no qualms now of glaring at he. In fact, he gave her a full out batglare.

"You really think I wouldn't notice your presence in my mind," he growled. "What are you going to do to me what you tried to do to Conner? Just try and see how that turns out."

The fear in M'gann's eyes hurt but he couldn't let her get away with this. She needed to understand the severity of what she had been trying to do. Dredging up every horrible memory he could remember he focused completely on them. Judging by M'gann's horrified expression it had worked. She could see everything he wanted her to. Finally, her presence disappeared from his mind and he stared down at the trembling Martian in front of him. Reaching a hand out to her, he let his anger go, becoming the calm and objective leader once again.

"I'm sorry Miss M, but I had to show you." He said. "That's nothing compared to what you do to your victims. Bad guys or not, nobody deserves that." He turned and walked away, knowing that he couldn't do anything more. While the pain he was feeling was enormous, he believed he had made the right decision. M'gann needed to realize why Conner was mad at her, that it wasn't just him being jealous. She also needed to stop abusing her powers.

'_How did it go?' Red X asked telepathically. _

He grinned. _'Step 1 of operation Supermartian has been implemented' he replied. _The grin turned into a frown as he pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. _'I hated doing that,' he said. 'And not just because of what I had to remember.' _

'_I would be worried if you hadn't,' his brother replied._

"Hey, Nightwing, have you seen my Angelfish?" La'gaan asked, walking up to him.

"Nope, maybe you should try her room or the kitchen," he replied.

La'gaan looked behind him, grinning at Conner who had just entered. "Maybe I will. She promised to make me crab cakes." With that he walked off, leaving him and Conner.

"She's that way," he said to Conner, nodding in the opposite direction of Lagoon Boy's chosen path.

"What makes you think I want to talk to her," Conner said, crossing his arms.

"I know you," he said. "You still love her and can't stand to see her with La'gaan. Take it from someone who's been through the same thing. Talk to her. Be her friend. It's hard but maybe it's time to move on."

Conner sighed. "Maybe you're right."

"I usually am," he said, walking past Conner to his bedroom door.

Entering his room he nodded to his brother and sat beside him and Beast Boy on the bed. The green teen was obviously worried about his "blood sister. " None of them had been fond of the plan but they all wanted to help M'gaan and this was the best way.

"Step 2 has begun," he said. "Time to begin Step Three."

**Conner's POV (yep, I'm really doing it)**

Upon entering the main control room, he couldn't help but freeze in shock. All the way here he had been thinking about what Dick had said and what he was going to say to M'gann. All these thoughts, however, disappeared the moment he saw M'gann standing in the middle of the room, trembling and sobbing, her beautiful green eyes glazed over.

"M'gann!" he exclaimed not even a second after he had frozen. He rushed towards her, catching her in his arms as her strength gave.

"Conner," she muttered weakly, her eyes clearing slightly as they met his own. The sound of his name from her lips made his heart race. She had chosen that name for him. She had been one of the first people to accept him for who he was, just as he had accepted her. They had kept each other's secrets. While it had been so hard to open up after being rescued by Cadmus, it seemed so easy when he was with her or Dick. He had learned to dislike telepathy after the genomorphs, even going so far as to abandon his own secret abilities. Just like with opening up, her and Dick had a way of making him enjoy it.

As he caught her, a familiar energy (to Conner) washed over them and suddenly they were thrown into a vision.

_He glanced back at M'gann who was controlling the Bio-ship. He still couldn't believe how often Nightwing was partnering them up. His fellow clone obviously had some plan that involved the two of them that he hadn't told him yet. What went through the teen's genius mind was always a mystery that he would rather not know._

"_So, now we're never talking again?" M'gann asked. _

"_Geez, you read my mind," he retorted._

"_I don't need to read your mind to know how you feel Conner, but the breakup was your idea," she said._

_Oh, so now it was his fault? Why wasn't he surprised. _

"_Don't pretend you don't know why," he said, turning his chair around to face her. _

"_I know, I know," she replied, raising a hand. "You disapprove of how I use my psychic powers."_

"_You mean of how you abuse them," he exclaimed, "ripping intel from the minds of your victim, with no concern for what it does to their psyches!"_

"_They're not victims! They're bad guys! That information is helping the Team, the League, the entire planet!" _

_There was the root of the matter. She didn't believe what she was doing was wrong because it was helping the good guys. _

"_And leaving your victims in a catatonic state," he retorted. "It's not right M'gann! You're behaving no better than Psimon."_

_He had hit a nerve, her eyes widened. "If you feel that strongly why not tell Nightwing, or the League?"_

_He bowed his head. "I was hoping, I mattered enough to you to make you stop. I didn't think you'd try to tamper with my mind…try to make me forget I was upset with you." He couldn't look at her, remembering that horrible feeling he had gotten when he had felt her trying to mess with his mind._

"_Conner, I'm so sorry about that," he heard her say. _

"_Sorry you did it," he asked, looking up ather and turning his chair back so that he wouldn't have to. "Or sorry you got caught" He closed his eyes, lost in memories. "After all we'd been through, how could you think I wouldn't recognize your touch inside my mind? Didn't you know what that touch meant to me? And to have you pervert it like that." He could tell she was crying but he continued. "Guess I was kidding myself. How replaceable was I? Two minutes after I end it you're dating the rebound guy from the Black Lagoon." _

_Once upon a time, they would have laughed over Earth references like that, bonding over their pride at being able to understand it._

"_La'gaan is not my rebound guy," she said. _

_Having just opened his eyes he went back to staring out of the Bio-ship. "Lucky La'gaan."_

The vision ended and Conner opened his eyes to find himself standing in the same place as before, still holding M'gann. Cursing Dick in his mind he focused on the woman in his arms who had lost the glazed look in her eyes.

"We need to talk," he said.

**A.N.: So, I've only gotten one review for my last chapter. What's happening? Am I updating too often or was it my lack of updates this past week? Oh well, please review. I loved writing this chapter which will obviously change a few things. I've decided that Searching for a Bird will probably end soon after Depths. Do not worry, I still have prequels and a sequel planned as well as spin-offs. That's right, you heard me. There will be a SEQUEL. I don't know what it will be called but you will see why I decided to stop Searching for a Bird where I am going to. It will still focus on our two birds but I've decided to add more elements into it, including a few other points of views. There will be huge surprises coming. **

** As for what happened in this chapter, well, I wasn't originally going to focus on it but I just couldn't do Depths without having it be affected. Well, I could but it wouldn't have felt right. So, our three pranksters changed the future of these two a little by showing them it, but how much will that change exactly. There's still a lot to be answered, like what the Light thinks of Tim's capture and Renegade's disappearance. Will that jeopardize Kaldur and Artemis? Stay tuned to see.**


	21. Chapter 21: Depths

_A.N.: So, This chapter is going to be Depths. Sorry that there isn't another chapter in between this. I couldn't think of more. I do hope you like it though. There will be a few more chapters after this one before the end. I will then start on the prequels and sequels to this one as well as my Percy Jackson story and my Yugioh Zexal and Naruto stories I have come up with. _

_Shout out to __**Dextra 2 **__who was the only one to review the last two chapters yet._

Disclaimer: I do not own.

Ch. 21: Depths

"28…29..30," he hated doing this. It should be him lying there, not her. The repetitive beat was like a drum, dramatizing even more the already brimming scene. "She's dead," he said.

**March 19, 11:42 EDT**

"They're both going to wind up our responsibility, aren't they?" Mal asked.

"Not necessarily," Nightwing replied, knowing that was a lie. "Bart, Impulse, is staying with Jay and Joan Garret in Central City. Red X, the original Robin, is recuperating in a secure location." Which meant he was at the mansion with Alfred, Jason and Barbara.

"Um, hm," Mal said. "They're both going to wind up our responsibility."

"Doesn't everything?" Superboy retorted. "I mean where are we on identifying the Light's new partner?"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No progress," he answered. It stung, knowing that was his fault. He had set them back with his short Renegade stint. To make matters worse he still had no clue where Tim was.

A familiar laugh brought him out of his contemplation and he looked up as M'gann and La'gaan entered.

"Oh my god," M'gann said, still laughing. "Don't eat so fast."

"I can't help it Angelfish," La'gaan replied in between eating crab cakes from a plate in his hand. "The idea of cooking crabs is amazing enough, but making them into little cakes?"

"Ooh, you're gonna choke,"M'gann said, though she was still laughing slightly.

"If only," he heard Superboy mutter.

"Here," M'gann said, taking a crab cake from the plate. "Let me." Wincing, he gave Superboy a sympathetic look.

"Mm," La'gaan said. "If that's not true love I don't know what is." He was looking directly at Superboy. "Chum."

"Call me when it's time for the debriefing," Superboy said walking towards one of the halls.

**"Recognized: Artemis-B07," **the computer announced.

Nightwing kept a stoic face as all eyes turned to the archer that was entering the room.

"Time for the briefing," he said, knowing Superboy would hear.

"Artemis!" M'gaan exclaimed, rushing over to her former teammate, in her haste almost knocking the plate of crab cakes out of La'gaan's hands.

"Hi M'gaan," Artemis greeted, returning the hug she had found herself in.

"How's Wally?" M'gaan asked.

"He's…Wally," Artemis replied. The two laughed together.

"Welcome back Girl," Mal said, walking up to Artemis.

"Hey Mal," she replied.

"We have so missed you around here," Superboy said, joining them.

"Conner!"

"I relish this opportunity to finally fight beside you Archer," La'gaan said, joining M'gann.

"Um, thanks La'gaan," Artemis said. Judging by the tone in her voice she had as much trust in La'gaan as he and Superboy did.

"Okay Gamma Squad, listen up," he said, turning all their attention to him. He had activated the main computer's large central screen, a smaller one in front of him. "The mission is Cape Canaveral, covert op. to safeguard the first Mars com. sat. There are people out there who don't even like the idea of aliens and who will do anything to scrub this launch." He resisted the urge to point out a now distressed M'gaan that there were also people who didn't like the idea of clones but she didn't see him, Superboy or Jim worrying about it (At least right now). Right now wasn't the time to let his emotions rule him. They had a mission to do.

"But, that's why I came back," Artemis said to M'gaan. "Because not all of us feel that way."

"So why are you going?" Mal asked him.

"Let's just say that after running this team for a year," he said, moving his wrist and adjusting the glove on it, "I'm peckish for a little action." Not that he hadn't had enough of that already but that was not something he wanted to talk about right now.

Later he found himself standing watch with Artemis from one of Cape Canaveral's towers.

"If nothing else, we have a nice view," Artemis said.

"Miss M.," he said, activating his com. link. "Link us up." He felt the familiar power of her telepathy and immediately his barriers went up, shielding his thoughts.

"_Link established," Miss M said. _

"_Good," he replied. "Begin areal sweep of the Cape's perimeter."_

"_Hey Boss," La'gaan said. _He resisted the urge to groan both aloud and mentally knowing what the Atlantean was going to say. _"I'd be happy to join my Angelfish on that assignment."_

"_Negative Lagoon Boy," he said letting his annoyance known in his tone. "You're right where I need you, giving me maximum coverage in the water, on land and in the air, in case there's any attempt at sabotage." _

"I know I'm not Wally's favorite person right now," he said hours later. "But, it is nice to have you back." For a moment, he felt like the 13-year old boy again, still crushing on his best friend's crush.

"It's nice to be back," Artemis replied as she drew out her collapsible bow from her utility belt. "I didn't realize how much I'd been missing it. Which is pretty much exactly what Wally's afraid of." She tested out the bow's string. "He's afraid the rush that comes with the mask will get its hooks in and I won't give it up until my dying day."

Ouch, Wally always had a way with getting to people but that was harsh. She'd been the one who made the decision, not him. If it had been up to him he'd still have still been Renegade and it would be him that would be him the Team would be mourning after this mission, not her.

"I know exactly what you mean," he said.

He definitely wasn't bored as he watched from his perch. The feelings he could sense coming from Superboy and Miss Martian kept his own emotions rolling as he worried whether he had done the right thing putting them together. Judging from what he was allowing himself to receive they were arguing big time, most likely over the whole telepathy thing just as he had shown them less than a week ago. He had to admit he was on Superboy's side on this one. M'gaan had definitely gone too far trying to make Conner forget he was mad at her.

"_Eavesdropping?" a familiar voice asked. _He rolled his eyes. If anything having a brother/younger twin that he could speak to anytime kept things interesting.

"_Like you're one to talk," he replied. _

"_Whoa, heads up Minnows." La'gaan's voice interrupted. "We've got bad guys. Black Manta's troopers working some kind of platform beneath the surface just offshore. I'm taking them down!"_

"_Delay that," he ordered, knowing La'gaan would most likely ignore him, but hoping otherwise. "Wait for backup."_

"_I'll scrounge a rebreather from the cargo hold and help the rookie out," Superboy said. _

"_Rookie!" Lagoon Boy exclaimed. Nightwing held back a groan. Thanks Conner. Now he was going to be even more likely to run off and get himself kidnapped. "Neptune's Beard. I don't any help from the Boy of Steel."_

"_Lagoon Boy, stand down!" he ordered, sensing the Atlantean's transformation. _

"_Sorry, you're breaking up," La'gaan said, followed by the sound of obviously faked static._

"_There's no static on the Psychic Link," he exclaimed. He was terrified. As much as he trusted Kaldur he knew Lagoon Boy was still in danger from Black Manta's men. He didn't want to have another Team member kidnapped by the Light like Tim. His terror grew as he used his telepathy and the Psychic Link to discover what was happening. Lagoon Boy was in a serious fight._

"Company!" Artemis alerted, turning his attention to what was happening around him. Black Manta's troopers were coming onto the shore in waves. He watched as Artemis shot a grappling hook with her bow catching their attention. He followed her as she rode the wire down to the ground. The troopers shot at them but always missed. Hiding from them on a dumpster he called Superboy through the psychic link.

"_Superboy, you have that rebreather?" he asked. _

"_Negative," Superboy replied. There was annoyance and exasperation in his voice. "La'gaan didn't restock._

"_Then take the Helm," he ordered. "Miss Martian, gill up and help Lagoon Boy. Superboy, we need cover fire down here."_

"_Acknowledged," M'gann said. "Bio-ship reconfigured for manual flight…La'gann, I'm on my way."_

He and Artemis watched as the Bio-ship headed their way and began firing on the troops.

"_That's our cue," Artemis said, leaping out from their hiding place. _He pulled her down as shots were fired at her.

"_I know you're rusty but are TRYING to get yourself killed!" he exclaimed. _He suddenly flinched not just because of the close call but because of La'gaan's sudden mental silence in his mind. He leaped up and watched in horror as a missile erupted from the water, heading straight towards the com. sat.

He ducked behind the dumpster again.

"_We're on the wrong side of this wall," Artemis said._

"_Superboy," he said._

"_On it," the clone replied. _

He sighed in relief as the bio-ship fired just in time, destroying the missile. The spotlights around the satellite suddenly turned on.

"_We're really on the wrong side of this wall," Artemis said. _

They watched the bio-ship attack more of the troopers on the other side of the wall before ducking back down.

"_The troopers' helmets, designed to enhance vision underwater, right?" Artemis asked as she pulled out a flare arrow and attached it to her bow. _

"_Move!" he exclaimed as the night erupted with bright light. _Both of them jumped over the wall, finally free of the troopers' fire.

Attacking all the troopers in his path, he was still able to keep notice of the Bio-ship destroying another missile that was quickly followed by another. Finally done with his group of troopers, he turned and watched in horror as the one that Artemis had just downed got up again and was about to attack her from behind. He rushed over to her but was too late. Not even a split second after the trooper had started to swing his knife at her; Artemis had turned and knocked him out again with her bow and another arrow.

"_What?" she asked shrugging at his surprised expression. "I'm not that rusty."_

Sensing a familiar presence and hearing a disturbance in the water, he turned and watched as a familiar Atlantean surfaced from the water. It was time.

"_They've taken La'gann," M'gann said. "I'm going after him."_

"_Priority is the missiles," Superboy said. _ Sure enough more and more missiles were shooting from the water and attacking the surrounding towers. _"There are too many! I'm not keeping up!"_

He felt M'gann use her powers to try and destroy the missile launcher only to release the last one. She was able to turn it and make it attack the launcher, sending her flying back. _"La'gaan," she thought weakly. _He and Artemis shared a mournful glance. M'gann was about to lose more than just La'gaan.

"Kaldur, you don't want to do this," Artemis exclaimed, making him return to the mission at hand.

"I believe I do," Kaldur said, using the water around him to create two swords and a huge dragon which aimed at them.

"Ahh!" he exclaimed as the water threw him back and then continued to do the same with Artemis.

Suddenly, the satellite began to launch. They turned and watched as a missile obviously fired by Kaldur headed towards it. Artemis immediately shot an exploding arrow which was able to intercept the missile.

"The rest on me," she said.

"Artemis, behind you!" he exclaimed, rushing to intercept Kaldur who had a huge water hammer in each hand. He was able to dodge one but the second one hit, throwing him back and allowing Kaldur to attack Artemis with the one that had missed. She stopped it, but Kaldur stabbed her in the chest with a water sword from his other hand.

"Welcome back," Kaldur said.

"Artemis!" he exclaimed in horror, watching Kaldur withdraw the sword and Artemis fall back. He knew that it wasn't real but that didn't stop his heart from feeling like it was.

He rushed over to her. "I've got you," he said, catching her. "Hang on." He gently laid her on the ground.

"Move out," he heard Kaldur order the two troopers that had come with him. "The mission is a failure." Just as he said that the sound of the ship exploding filled the air. He could sense Kaldur's surprise. "We are done here."

He sensed Superboy and Miss Martian join them but he was focused completely on his role. He pretended to pump her chest and blow air into her mouth.

"I can't hear her heartbeat," Superboy said, playing his part.

"28…29..30," he hated doing this. It should be him lying there, not her. The repetitive beat was like a drum, dramatizing even more the already brimming scene. "She's dead," he said.

**March 20, 4:00 EDT**

** Bl****ü****dhaven**

He stared at the picture he had pulled up on his wrist computer. It was the one he had taken years ago, back when he had still been Robin, naïve of the true darkness of his past. It had been a different life, one he had left behind. He may have let go of his crush on Artemis but he still cared a lot about her. He hated to see this happen

"We'll laugh about this someday," he promised, just as he had done five years ago at the start of school. He had been a strange 13-year-old genius freshman who had suddenly rushed up and taken her picture. She hadn't known his identity then. It had been a simple joke. Now, it was a promise that she would make it back from her mission. He would make sure of it.

The presence of others caught his attention and he turned off his computer, alert.

"Wally?" he asked.

"No," Kaldur said, stepping out from behind a stack of boxes. He nodded his head. They watched as Wally appeared from another spot followed a few seconds later by a hooded figure. The person pulled back their hood to reveal Artemis. Good, they were all there.

I take it our ruse was successful," Kaldur said.

"Almost too successful," he replied. "The Team and the League are in mourning. They may never forgive us."

"And still only we know the secret?" Kaldur asked. He knew why Kaldur didn't mention the others. Though they knew the secret. It was them who would take the fall if this meeting was infiltrated and their cover broken.

""The secret, and the other: that you've been under deep cover within Black Manta's organization since leaving the Team," he replied. "How'd it go on that end?"

"Successful as well," Kadlur said. "I've proven my loyalty to my biological father. He is moving me up the ladder, bringing me closer to the Light and their unknown Partner."

"Not without cost Kaldur," he said, remembering Tim, La'gaan and Artemis as well as his own stint as Renegade. "The Com. Sat. wasn't supposed to be destroyed. And La'gaan definitely wasn't supposed to be captured."

"It was the only way to save his life and maintain my cover," Kaldur said.

"I'm not blaming you," he said, walking over to Kaldur. "I know you've been forced to make impossible decisions. Like choosing between saving the Kroloteans on Malina island,"

"Or saving my friends," Kaldur finished. "I will find a way to help La'gaan and find Tim. You have my word."

He winced. Kaldur still hadn't been able to find Tim or any hint that the Light even had him. They hadn't said anything about it, even during his time as Renegade.

"I'm afraid they are suspicious of Renegade's absence and Red X's disappearance," Kaldur said.

"I figured as much," he replied. "I would be surprised if they weren't." He frowned. Maybe it was time for his original self to become Robin again. It would certainly throw the Light off their game.

"So what now?" Artemis asked.

He walked over to her, holding the glamour charm he had gotten from Zatanna just a few days ago. He put it around her neck.

"Uh, dude, why are you giving bling to my dead girlfriend?" Wally asked.

"Glamour charm," he answered. "Courtesy of Zatanna. Physiomorphic spell, I think. She said it backwards."

"Wow," Wally said, moving to stand beside him and Kaldur. He stared at his girlfriend. "You look…exactly the same."

"To the four of us," he said. "And only us. But to anyone else, you're an entirely different person." The words tugged at something at the back of his mind, a revelation that seemed to be hiding from him.

"The more impressive trick is how you got something so specific from Zatanna," she said, "without revealing who or what it was for."

"We have a history," he replied, ignoring the familiar laughter this caused in his mind from his origin self. He was focused on the beeping that meant their time together here was running out.

"Dog," Wally said, elbowing him.

"It is time," Kaldur said.

Artemis nodded. Wally walked over to her and hugged her which inevitably turned into a kiss. He turned away as Kaldur gave him a solemn glance and left for the dock where the ship was waiting.

"What could go wrong," Artemis said.

"Don't say that," Wally joked.

He walked over to them and with a knowing glance he and Wally headed for the roof while Artemis departed for the dock.

On the roof, they watched as the two entered the ship and it slowly disappeared under water.

"We're through the hard part," he said. "They're in."

"Who are you kidding?" Wally said in the same angry tone he had used with him all night. "It only gets more dangerous from here."

_**A.N.: Wow! 3,000 words, that's twice my usual size. I just couldn't find a good place to split it without making it uneven. Don't worry. There's still more left before I call this story complete. Probably 1 or 2 more chapters. For those of you who have been sticking through this, you'll get a special treat for March 20**__**th**__** and March 21**__**st**__** SFAB time. These two dates are my and Dick's birthday's. So of course I have to finish this off with it and a surprise. **_

_** That being said, I am happy to have written this but sad that it has almost come to an end. Sure there will be prequels and a sequel but I will always love this story. **_

_** Please Review so I can update soon. **_


	22. Chapter 22

_A.N.: So, this is the last chapter of Searching for a Bird. It's been great writing this and I look forward to beginning the prequels and sequel. Unfortunately, the sequel probably won't be posted until the show comes back on. The prequels however, will be up soon. Starting late August, college will start so I won't be able to update as often. I will try my best to update as quickly as possible. _

_Special shout-out to __**Fighter1357 **__for giving me this chance. I couldn't have done this without your plot bunny. I am happy and blessed to have this opportunity and to have met so many great people through it. To all of you in America, happy early Independence day/Fourth of July. _

_ Disclaimer: I do not own._

_ Without further ado, I give you the last chapter of Searching for a Bird. _

Ch. 22

**March 21, 2016**

**Wayne Mansion**

** Dick's POV**

A day had passed since Artemis's "death." After Wally had left, he had spent the day patrolling Gotham and Blüdhaven, reluctant to return to the cave. He kept telling himself that he had been abandoning his cities lately but he knew that wasn't the real reason why. He had told Kaldur that he didn't think the Team or the League would forgive them after what they had done. After they had forgiven him for being the mole he had believed that thy shouldn't have. Now, he wished with everything he had that they would.

"You're moping again," a voice said, startling him. He looked up at the familiar form of his original self.

"No I'm not," he replied, crossing his arms.

Red X rolled his eyes. "Sure you aren't," he said. Dick shuddered. When he did that he reminded him so much of Tim. This caused him to remember something. Getting up he walked over to his closet. He opened his secret compartment and pulled out a box that he had prepared when he returned.

"Here Squirt," he said, handing it to his younger self before closing the compartment.

"What is it?" X asked.

"Look and see," he replied. He watched as Red X opened it to reveal a costume similar to the regular Robin one but with more red.

**Tim's POV**

"Dick, are you serious?" he asked in shock. "This is…"

"Yours," Dick said. "You deserve it. Besides, I think the world needs a new Robin with Tim missing. You've more than proved yourself."

Being Robin again, did he want that? A part of him did but still it felt wrong, like he was more than just Robin. He had changed so much in the last month. His mind flashed to his red X costume and suddenly he knew. Grinning, he turned to Dick.

"Alright," he said. "But it's not Robin."

"Then what is it?" Dick asked. He didn't answer, just continuing to grin. Finally, it was time.

**Later- Mount Justice**

** Dick's POV**

He looked at the large group of people gathered in front of him. He hoped they would understand why he was doing this.

"What is it, Nightwing?" Superboy asked.

He steadied himself. "I know you're all mourning Artemis and La'gaan but right now we need to focus on stopping the Light. The Team may have lost members but that won't stop us. We need as much strength as we can get. That's why I've decided that a new Robin will be joining the Team. "

He waited patiently for the shocked outbursts he knew were coming.

"A New Robin!"

"You can't be serious! You're replacing Robin already!"

"Don't tell me it's Red X!"

He sighed. "Yes, it's him," he said. "He's the only one that can do it right now and he has the training and experience besides the Red Hood."

"And I definitely don't want to be Robin again," Red Hood said from beside Batgirl.

"What about Robin?" Wonder Girl asked.

"I haven't given up searching for him, but right now we need all the help we can get," he replied. "We will find him, no matter what."

That was the truth. Just like when he searched for Red X he wouldn't give up on Tim. He imagined what it would be like to have the whole family back together: Bruce, Alfred, Babs, Jason, Tim and Red. He frowned. For some reason no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't imagine Tim and Red together by his side. Every time he tried, they seemed to meld together into one blurry form. It was like he could only choose one of them.

"So where is he?" Mal asked.

"He said he'd be coming in a minute," he replied. His frown grew. When he had left his brother, Red had been staring at something in his hands, seemingly trying to decide something. **"I'll be there in a minute," he had said. "Just have to change."**

**"Recognized: Red Robin: B20," **the computer alerted.

Like everyone else, he looked up in shock at that. B20 was Tim's number, not Red's and Tim wasn't called Red Robin. Something rose up inside him as he watched a familiar figure exit one of the Zeta Tubes.

"Hey Guys, miss me?" his brother asked. He gaped, staring at Tim who's form for some reason seemed to shift slightly in his vision. Tim was wearing the Robin costume he had given Red just a while ago. That set off alarm bells in his mind.

"Tim?" he asked weakly, not caring that everyone had heard him say his name.

His brother turned to him, grinning. "Yep, the one and only." Tim chuckled, something unusual for his usually quiet and shy brother. "Well, that's a matter of perception actually." Tim's hands went to something on his neck, which he removed. He, Wally and Zatanna gasped as this happened and they caught a glimpse of a familiar golden pendant. Suddenly, it was no longer Tim standing before them but Red, holding a glamour charm like the one he had given Artemis. Pieces clicked together in his mind. It all made sense now: why Bruce had been so adamant that he be Tim's mentor, the similarities between Tim, Red and him and why he had felt such a familiar connection to Tim.

"Surprise," Tim said, grinning. Identical blue eyes met.

"You…" he stuttered in shock. "You're Tim. You were never missing. All those times you helped search for you as Tim…" he trailed off.

"At first I didn't want you to know. Lately though, I wanted to tell you but I could never find the right time," Tim said. "I was scared of what you'd think."

Without a second thought, he walked over to his brother and pulled him into a big hug. "You want to know what I think?" he asked, suddenly grinning. He could feel his brother's fear and he knew exactly what to do.

"Ow!" Tim exclaimed, pulling slightly out of his grip and rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

"You're an idiot," he answered. "You're my brother, no matter what. It doesn't matter if you're Dick, Red X, Red Robin or Tim. Why would I ever think any different?" With that he pulled Tim back into a hug. He was barely aware of everyone else leaving the room. The last were Jason, Babs,Wally, Roy, M'gann and Superboy. Suddenly Tim nudged him slightly and nodded to M'gann and Conner who were holding hands as they left.

"I think we can call Operation Supermartian a success for now," he said.

Tim nodded. "It's about time." They both laughed. He let go of Tim and moved to lean against the wall, never letting his brother out of his sight.

"Dad has a lot of explaining to do," he said.

"Don't be mad at him," Tim said. "He was only doing what I asked."

He nodded. "I know, but there are still other things I'm not too happy about." He ran a hand through his raven hair. "My life is crazy."

"Well, you can't say it isn't boring," Tim said. "By the way, Happy Birthday Dick."

He looked up in shock. After everything that had happened he had totally forgotten that today was his birthday. Ironic considering since learning he was a clone he had always wished to forget. It had been just another reminder that there was a younger him out there who would never get to celebrate it. Or so he had thought.

He grinned. "Best present ever," he said. "Happy Birthday Tim."

His search was over and he had realized it hadn't just been Tim he had been searching for, but himself. After five years of searching he finally had the answers and he could relax, at least for now. Suddenly, memories filled his mind.

'_**You are special, Brother. I know that one day you will stop what is happening. You will be the one to crash the mode.'**_

'_**What do you mean, Crash the Mode?'**_

'_**It must be crashed. Otherwise more than just Earth will fall.'**_

'_**But what is it? What is the mode?'**_

'_**That, you must find out for yourself. You hold the key and the answers to the universe's salvation. When the time comes, you will know what must be done.'**_

"_Do you know what our plan is Robin?" Savage asked. Robin shook his head. "Our plan is to evolutionize humanity, to bring out a person's true potential. Yet, it's so much more than that. Humans grow and change but there are always limits. It is these limits that stunt our growth. Do you know who puts these limits in place, the Justice League. The Light is working to remove the barrier they have set in place to keep us from achieving our true greatness. That is why we have created you. Unlike we had originally planned, we decided to start removing these limits in you. Normally, the meta-gene that give a human powers is dormant, but we have managed to awaken yours. Now the question becomes, how do we control it? Can we manipulate it to control the level a power a human has?"_

_ "Why me?" Robin asked._

_ "You are the key," Savage said. "You are the one who will help us prefect the mode."_

_ Savage's words from right before he became unconscious after first awakening returned to him. _

_**"Just born and the kid's already crashing the mode."**_

_ "What if I don't want to?" Robin asked. Instead of becoming angry, Savage actually seemed amused._

_ "Whoever said you had a choice."_

He did his best to keep from reacting, but judging by the expression on his brother's face he hadn't been the only one to remember.

"Ready to Crash the Mode?" he asked.

Tim nodded seriously. "Always."

The Search for a Bird may have ended, but the war surrounding it had just begun.

**Epilogue (yep, not over yet)**

** Location: Unknown**

"How much longer until they're ready," he heard somebody ask. Trembling, he clutched his little brother closer to him.

"Not much longer," somebody else replied. "We need to be careful though, their predecessors have a will that cannot be broken. They will as well. We cannot lose them like we lost the others."

The first person laughed. "You worry too much. These two will be the perfect soldiers for the Light. Those Bats and Birds think they know everything about our plans. They have no idea the extent we've manipulated their lives. We will achieve victory, that you can be assured. We will bring the world into the Light." He paused for a second. "Even so, summon Match, we must be prepared either way."

"Of course sir," the second person said.

"I'm scared Damian," his brother said, causing his attention to turn to him.

"Everything will be alright Terry," he said. "We'll get out of here and find Dad and our brothers. I promise." He let his determination show. "Then together we'll Crash the Mode."

_**The End (For now)**_

_** A.N.: So, my last authors note for this story, most likely. I might rewrite it to fix the mistakes so look for that. **_

_** When I decided Dick's birthday would be March 21**__**st**__** and realized it would take place right after Depths I knew it would be when Tim revealed who he was. I wasn't originally going to change his hero identity to Red Robin but when I started writing it I suddenly knew that was what would happen. I hoped you like the ending. I wanted to show that the mystery isn't over yet. **_

_** The epilogue, I have been thinking long and hard about it. I knew I wanted to close with somebody other than Tim and Dick that would influence the next story. I've had Damian and Terry in my mind for a long time. Though they aren't YJ cannon (Terry belonging to Earth 12, not Earth 16) I thought they would be a great part of the story considering the Light's penchant for clones and their connection to the Ras' Al Ghul and Talia. In this version they are different, as Terry is obviously in this time and not the future. I don't know about Matt. I still haven't decided about him. There will be no Hush from the Batman Beyond Comics though. Dick's clone is Nightwing in this AU. **_

_** So, with that, I end this story so we can begin the next part of the saga.**_


	23. AN: Prequel and New Stories Alert

AN: This is an alert to tell you all that Dick's prequel to this story, _Wings of Night, _is up. I also have three other new stories as well. Here is the list of the stories and their summaries.

1. Tron Uprising: Legacy of Scars

A novelization of Tron Uprising, but with my own twist. Tron is hiding more secrets than anyone knows and some of them have to do with Beck. Will these secrets be enough to save Tron from his fall and prepare the next Tron, or will they simply speed it. Rinzler wasn't the only one with memory problems.

Tron - Rated: T - English - Family/Friendship - Chapters: 1 - Words: 3,621 - Published: 7-30-12 - Beck & Tron/Rinzler

2. Facing Origins

When Hilda set out to find N, he never imgained it would lead her to her past. The secrets she learns will change the future. Herjourney will take her to familiar places and she will meet familiar people. Meanwhile, dreams of an eternal winter and a familiar dragon haunt her and N. In order to stop Ghetsis's plans they must do something they never dreamed of: Revive Team Plasma.

Pokémon - Rated: T - English - Romance/Adventure - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,300 - Published: 7-30-12 - Hilda/Touko & N H./Natural H. G.

3. Wings of Night

Dick's Prequel to Searching for a Bird. How does one move on from learning their whole life is a lie? Discovering he was a clone was only the tip of the iceberg. In order to search for the original Robin, he must let go of everything he knows and learn to fly on his own. He's no longer Robin or Dick Grayson. He doesn't know who he is, just that he's flying on Wings of Night.

Young Justice - Rated: T - English - Friendship/Hurt/Comfort - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,705 - Published: 7-28-12 - Richard G./Nightwing & Conner K./Superboy

4. A Different Path

For Sasuke's Birthday. Summary: Decisions make all the difference. For Naruto and Sasuke, this is more than true. They are about to see what could have been while helping their younger alternate selves change the future of their world. But what will happen to their own? These two wayward brothers have a long road ahead of them.

Naruto - Rated: T - English - Friendship/Family - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,685 - Reviews: 1 - Published: 7-23-12 - Sasuke U. & Naruto U.


	24. Author's Note

Important Author's Note:

Sorry, this isn't an update even though it's been almost two months since I last updated. College has started back up and I've been reading more instead of writing. I do have chapters for a few of my stories ready but they aren't finished yet.

Good news: I've got the urge to write more for the Searching for a Bird series. Bad News: This urge is also accompanied by a need to resort through my story and change my plans for the rewrite. The new episode gave me way too much to work with.

WARNING: *SPOILERS*

Okay, "Satisfaction" was both a blessing and a curse for me. Because it was set on March 21st this means my great final ending for the original SFAB may have to be changed (I hadn't wanted to). I know I will definitely include Connor's Birthday to go along with the Robin brothers. Here are some of my thoughts on the episode.

Arsenal: Oh how I want to include you in my story. Hmm, I might just have to do something about that. *Goes over the options running in her head*. I was so amazed and captivated by him. The ending with Luthor was so obvious and familiar. Poor Red Arrow, having to deal with seeing his clone call down the same path he almost did. I was so anticipating when Luthor gave Arsenal the arm and he showed it to the others and took his new name. I have a feeling the young archer will play a crucial role in stalling and harming Nightwing's plans as well as cause a lot of trouble for the Team. I mean, HE BURNED HIS HAT! I now want a certain super clone to talk to him and tell him exactly why accepting gifts from Lex Luthor is an extremely bad idea.

My favorite lines:

-"Gotta love modern weapons tech, easier for a one-armed man to fire a missile launcher than to pull on his pants."

-'"I'm completely doomed aren't I?"

"One-hundred percent"."

-"Quite the Arsenal you've brought tonight Mr. Harper."

"You haven't seen the half of it Luthor!"

"Oh, I wasn't talking about the weaponry. I myself never go armed. No, the greatest arsenal any man can bring to the party consists of the resources of his own mind: his intelligence…his stratagems…his force of will. And you, my young friend, have all of those in spades."

-"That's a detonation cord Luthor, the kind Lex Corp. sells illegally. It's the perfect revenge. I use your own tech to do to you what you did to me."

"Except, we gave you anesthesia. Your methods seem a tab more…violent."

"We reap what we sow, Luthor."

"Indeed, but are you prepared for the harvest?...Vengeance is a suckers game son and yours can only be achieved by the cost of your own life."

"You think I won't pay that cost."

"Honestly, I have no idea…but I just might be dying to find out." **(Bad pun Luthor)**

-What is it you really want son: revenge or satisfaction."

-**GA: **"No, we can't be too late. I can't have failed him again!"

**RA: **"No wait! Look!"

**Arsenal: **"Hey guys, what took you so long?"

**GA: **"Roy, are you alright?"

**A: **"I'm good. Well, better than I've been in eight years anyway."

**GA: **"You didn't…?"

**A: **"Kill Luthor. No, not tonight.

**RA: **"What's in the case?"

**A: **"Satisfaction. It's not elegant. Won't fool anyone into thinking it's real flesh and blood, but it's more powerful and versatile than the model Luthor gave his own bodyguard and it will literally make me a living weapon. No one's putting me on ice again, ever."

**GA: **"Speedy, you sure you okay?"

**A: **"Speedy died eight years ago. But I kinda like the sound of…Arsenal."

Wendy: Okay, I would understand if there was a Connor/Cassie scene but I DO NOT like this new girl suddenly showing up and potentially being a new love interest for Connor. He should be with Megan, end of story.

Nightwing: Okay, his one, small appearance on what should have been (in my belief and head cannon) a day he starred in beside Connor and not Arsenal was disappointing and anticlimactic. I loved his expression when he listened to Connor and Mal talking about beating up Kaldur and how he just disappeared. I just wish he hadn't disappeared for the rest of the episode.

Jade: Now, I admit, I find it touching how she named Lian after Artemis. I do not however like her idea of joining up with her father Sportsmaster to kill Kaldur and Black Manta. Though showing that he actually cares for his children was a nice touch.

Megan: They could have done more with her scene, at least maybe added another one at the end concerning her decision for the surprise party for Connor's Birthday.

Tim: Okay, our first glance of him in civvies. The black outfit, jacket and glasses totally don't feel right for the genius hacker. Then again, it is perfect for him with the true introduction of a character he usually idolizes. Yep, I'm talking about the often talked about bird that some of us believed was a part of the show do to Nightwing's line in "Happy New Year" to Tim. "Just don't die." There is also the extremely fearful look on the Batclan's faces after the explosion and Tim's guilty look when he sees their totally relieved expressions after he comes up from the water. If you don't know who I'm talking about, well, read on.

JASON TODD: Yes everybody, our favorite, anti-hero former Robin has finally made an appearance in Young Justice and we can now consider him a canon member. Alright, so his appearance was a hologram in the grotto that memorialized him and other fallen heroes. The close-up when it first shows the grotto was amazing. They used similar features to his Under the Red Hood counterpart. I have to admit his appearance was just what I needed to see. Now we just have to wait and see if he makes an appearance as the Red Hood.


End file.
